Struck
by ejo
Summary: In Alice High, a group of elite teenagers are hiding a terrible secret. When you put Mikan Sakura into the equation, there's bound to be trouble, especially when their leader takes an interest on her.
1. A Brewing Change

**Struck**

**Summary: **In Alice High, a group of elite teenagers are hiding a terrible secret. When you put Mikan Sakura into the equation, there's bound to be trouble, especially when their leader takes an interest on her.

**Note: **Originally Oops, I Think I'm In Love.

The A-list girls and boys of Alice High have once again outdone themselves with a smashing party. Only a number of guests are invited into the shindig and they're clearly gaining rank into the status quo. Clearly that this event is very suspicious especially since it is held in forest preserve in the middle of the night.

xoxo The Lady

Sumire threw Koko a glare as she showed him her iPhone. The brown-haired boy whistled in admiration at the text message. Sumire just shot him another glare. Ever since The Lady started as the gossip girl of Alice High, she had been targeting their circle nonstop. It was as if she was their group's personal broadcaster. Thing was, they didn't want the attention of the other students.

Everyone knew about their backgrounds, just for the sake of bragging to their friends that they were close with that group. It was a lie. Nobody could enter that circle. Some tried, but none succeeded. It was clear to everyone else that they were different from them. Each one from that circle came from a high-class lineage. Each one of them was blessed with good looks. Each of them had sensible fashion tastes. Everyone wanted to be a part of them.

"That party was supposed to be a secret," Sumire hissed. "How the fudge did this person know? Can't you read her mind or something?"

Koko laughed. "I could if only I know of her identity. I can't read a mind through a text message, you know."

A petite girl rose from her seat and snatched the phone away. As soon as she was done reading, she threw the phone in the air which Sumire caught with grace.

"Damn you, Imai," she muttered. "You could have broken my 4s."

She rolled her eyes at her friend. Her icy, purple eyes that matched with her cold personality earned her the title of Ice Queen from The Lady. "You could afford to buy another one, Shouda."

Sumire smiled. "That, I could. Anyway, did you trace the number?"

The young girl dropped to the couch along with a yawn. "She was using an anti-tracker."

Sumire placed her hands on her waist. "Then invent a tracker that could beat her freaking software!"

Hotaru crossed her legs and looked at her directly. "I could, but I wouldn't."

Sumire's expression was priceless and Hotaru was enjoying how much she could piss the girl off. Koko was clearly staying silent, doing his best to avoid putting himself in a situation where he might regret later on.

"Don't you get it, _seaweed_?" Hotaru asked, using Sumire's hated nickname which added more fuel to the fire. "The Lady was using an anti-tracker. Not everyone in this school can get one, unless you count us, so there's clearly one possibility."

"What?"

Hotaru grinned mischievously. "Someone from the Conclave is spying on us. Perhaps they paid a puny human to do so."

"Why would they?" Koko pried.

"It's a warning from them. They want us to know that they are monitoring our activities because if things get out of hand, they'll put the blame on us." Another boy entered the room, followed by three other boys. His aura dominated the other teens' presence in the room. It was obvious to any third wheel that he was above them.

"Natsume, we have to let the Conclave know that they're abusing our rights." Sumire insisted as she continued to watch the boy take a seat beside Koko.

"Clearly, Shouda, we have no rights. The government's human rights don't apply to _us_. You're not forgetting that we're not like them, do you?" his voice was cold and it sent shiver to Sumire's spine. Of course, Sumire hadn't forgotten, how could she? She was constantly reminded of it every morning and night.

"I don't," she replied in a soft voice. "But that doesn't mean they can interfere with our business!"

"_Your _business, not mine," he countered as he took a sip of a red liquid from the champagne glass. "You were responsible for that midnight party, what were you doing there?"

Sumire gulped. "I was hanging out with… _them_." Natsume loosened his buttoned collar. While removing his tie, he was directly looking at Sumire, his eyes never averted from hers. It was as if he was a predator calculating the moves of his prey. "The humans… they adore me, they worship me. I don't get that kind of treatment. I love it. I yearn for it."

"You should know the difference between our kind and theirs. You're disgracing us." A blonde boy said. His eyes were cold as Hotaru's yet his physical features said otherwise. His hair was bright as the sun, his eyes were blue as the Mediterranean sea while his skin was white as the clouds above. He was the epitome of springtime yet he was harsh as winter.

"Butt out, Ruka." Sumire hissed, her fangs on display.

"Don't you dare to speak like that to me," Ruka defended. As fast as lightning, he ran to Sumire's side and wrapped his hands around her slim neck. "I will wring your neck, you little adopted vampire."

Koko slammed his body against the blonde boy. He restricted Ruka's movements by firmly seizing his arms. If it was a little tighter, he could have broken the poor lad's bones. "Don't you dare lay your hands on Sumire."

"You baboon!" cried Ruka.

"Koko, let him go. You know how temperamental Ruka can be." Tsubasa chided. He was oldest among them all, yet nobody took him seriously in the group because of his childish nature.

Koko glanced at Sumire who nodded at him. Koko slowly freed Ruka from his grasp and quietly went back to his seat, tugging Sumire along the way. Ruka gave them a glare as he went back to his seat. He was obviously going to take it to the heart—if he had one.

"There was never a day without a brawl," Hotaru commented, breaking the lingering silence in the room. "I love it."

"If everyone would get along, then the Conclave wouldn't dump us in this shit. I mean, our growth spurts have already stopped. I don't want to study and study all over again." Youichi, the youngest among them all, complained. "It feels like I'm receiving a lifetime punishment."

"Youichi," Natsume growled. Youichi quickly shut his lips tight. He had forgotten how dedicated Natsume was to the Conclave. He was practically their dog. "Don't speak of the Conclave that way."

"The brat's right, Hyuuga." Hotaru agreed.

Natsume scowled. Truth to be told, he found that Youichi had a point, but he didn't want to blame the Conclave. There was a reasonable reason why the Conclave had placed them in Alice High. They were a band of misfits and he was there to straighten them up by giving them respectable facades.

Sumire was an adopted child by the Shoudas, her true ancestry was unknown and that made her odd in the Conclave's eyes. The Shoudas wouldn't say whose child she was and this was their punishment: to take Sumire away from them.

Tsubasa once worked with the Conclave, although his services were unknown to his friends. He had a naturally childish disposition, Natsume assumed that was the reason why the Conclave toss him here. They were probably having a hard time controlling him.

Hotaru was a special case. She was the current head of the Imai clan but despite this she didn't want to do anything with the Conclave. She wanted to stay far from them as possible and being part of this group was the farthest she can get. The only condition the Conclave gave was that she would continue to offer her services to them which she reluctantly agreed.

The only problem with Ruka was his temper. The Nogis had sent their heir to discipline him but that only made him worse. He was reckless and ready to plunge in battle if someone made him furious. That was his absolute flaw.

Koko was another special case. He was different from the others. He had a special ability to read the mind and the Conclave found him useful for it. They were determined to keep him close but they were too late. He had fallen hard for Sumire Shouda and he would do anything just to be by her side.

Youichi was an illegitimate child of the Hijiri clan's head. He was a Halfling, half-vampire and half-human. He was a disgrace to the Hijiri name. If only he were born to another vampire, they wouldn't have sent him here.

Their kind was indifferent to them although the humans adored them. That was the irony.

"The Conclave had asked us to attend the next gathering." Natsume said after taking another sip from the glass. He glanced at Hotaru and added, "You're going, Imai. You're not going to miss this one out." Hotaru frowned. It was no use arguing with Natsume back.

"Did they say why there would be a meeting?" asked Tsubasa.

The raven-haired boy shrugged his shoulders. "They didn't say."

Something was up. The Conclave held meetings all the time, but it was the first time they invited their group. This was obviously related to all vampires in the territory of Japan.


	2. The Prophecy

**Struck**

**Summary: **In Alice High, a group of elite teenagers are hiding a terrible secret. When you put Mikan Sakura into the equation, there's bound to be trouble, especially when their leader takes an interest on her.

**Note: **Originally Oops, I Think I'm In Love.

Alice High was a boarding school and naturally everyone could see their group all dressed up in their formal wear. Everyone kept on speculating on where their group was about to go. It was rare for the school chairman to release a permission slip to let the students get out of the campus. All sorts of rumors piled up, but none was right. Of course, nobody would expect that their little group was about to venture on a den full of bloodsucking demons.

"We're going to stay for ten minutes only." Hotaru said once she sat inside the limo. She was wearing a white vintage Chanel dress with matching black heels. She was grumpy throughout the entire day and no one could get near without getting a scowl from her.

Sumire frowned. "That would be such a shame," she said. "You're wearing such a pretty dress and you're only going to use it for ten minutes? You can't be serious." Sumire had the most glamorous dress among them all. Whenever parties were a concern, she would always step up in dressing up. Koko couldn't even avert his eyes from Sumire's black low cut Givenchy dress.

"There's always good food when the Conclave holds a party," Tsubasa cut. "All sorts of steaks are served."

"Raw?" inquired Koko.

Tsubasa grinned. "Only the best."

After seemingly an hour, the limo arrived in the hotel with a crowd of photographers and journalists along the entrance. It was to be expected when Japan's A-list crowd gathered together for an exclusive party of their own.

The Conclave had rented the hotel's function room for their use. It was a bit intimidating to see all sorts of prominent people in their own field to be inside the room. Designers, top models, renowned CEOs and a whole lot more. Sumire hooked her hands into Koko's arm and both of them strode to the room with poise and grace.

"I knew it," Tsubasa whispered to Youichi. "Ayumi Hamasaki was a vampire. I was right all along."

The young boy rolled his eyes and strolled away from his upperclassman. Youichi never got along well with Tsubasa. The two of them were very different individuals and they had none in common other than their loyalty to their own group.

"Ah, Nastume!" a voice called. Natsume glanced to the voice's direction and found his mother waving at him. Kaoru Hyuuga was Japan's diamond in the theater. Despite her old age, she still had many loyal fans who continued to support her up to this day. "You look dashing."

"Mother." Natsume greeted as he gave her a peck on the cheek.

"How many months has it been since we last met?" she pondered. "Anyway, have you seen your sister? She's around here somewhe— oh wait, there she is. Aoi! Aoi!"

His eyes tore away from his mother and spotted his little sister in the crowd. He had missed her. Unlike him, Aoi was homeschooled. Her lessons were mostly about conducts and vampires. She was being groomed into being a perfect vampire wife and he didn't enjoy it at all.

As soon as Aoi spotted her brother, she ran to his arms and gave him a hug. "I miss you!" she cried.

Natsume Hyuuga's weakness was his family. He had a soft spot for them. It was a risk he was willing to take. He loved his little sister more than anything. "How have you been, Aoi?"

"Terrible!" she replied. "Mother's urging me to find a fiancé."

Natsume scowled in horror. Aoi was too young for this kind of matter. She was only 150 years old in vampire age stuck in a 15 year old body. She was still practically a baby for him. "Mother," he turned to Kaoru. "What are you thinking?"

Kaoru waved her hand dismissively at her son's face. "Aoi's old enough to carry my grandchildren. Surely you cannot deny me of that. Plus it's already mating season, it's the perfect opportunity." Kaoru's words triggered an old memory from Natsume's past. There was a time when his mother was urging him to marry. It took her years of convincing that Natsume wasn't the marrying sort.

"Ladies and gentlemen," everyone stopped on what they were doing and turned to the stage. Before them all was a young man in a tuxedo. It was Izumi Sakura the Conclave's chairman. He was the most powerful man inside the room and he wasn't the type of man who would tolerate disobedience. "I thank you all for coming here tonight."

Everyone raised their glasses to him.

In the corner of Natsume's eye, he saw Hotaru leaving in haste. The woman could not stand being in the same room as Izumi, it was a mystery to all of them. It was a pity that the Imai clan's leader was a selfish woman who could not fulfill her duties well, Natsume thought.

"This event is the celebration of my son's betrothal." He announced.

Everyone whispered in soft voices. Confusion was evident in everyone's faces. Even Natsume was surprised with Izumi's declaration. The Sakura clan was aristocratic in the vampire world. They had been ruling Japan for centuries long. To have the future heir hidden was outrageous.

"Son? Izumi Sakura had a child?"

"There was an heir to the Sakura lineage?"

"If there was a child, who was the wife?"

The Hyuuga family was inside Izumi's circle of friends yet not one of them knew about this. It was scandalous in vampire history. There should be a reasonable explanation to why Izumi hid his child and the other Conclave members demanded one.

"I hope your faith in me as your leader didn't decrease," Izumi said. "I have a decent explanation for my actions in the past."

"Sakura!" the Hijiri clan's head called from the crowd. "What is the meaning of this?"

"The first ones who had known were the Azumis, Masachikas and the Serios. The three heads of those clans were vowed to stay silence about this matter. Do not blame them," he said. "The reason why I hid my son was for the intention of his safety."

"Doesn't the Main House have enough security?" one of the vampires asked.

"We do," Izumi bravely replied. "But not enough to stop the other Conclaves from taking him."

"Why would he be taken?" another vampire asked.

"The prophecy came true," Izumi said. Gasps echoed inside the room. Everyone knew of that prophecy, they had been studying it for years and to think that it actually came was quite unimaginable. Jinno, the oldest vampire in the room, suddenly went onto his knees and prayed in silence. Tsubasa stifled a laugh, he assumed that he was the only one who saw the old man kneeling. "It isn't only a son, I have a daughter too. They are twins."

Natsume glanced at his mother, just to see her reaction. Kaoru's eyes were wide open and she was carefully listening to Izumi's words. The children of prophecy had finally come true, a lot of vampires were waiting for them for centuries and finally they had come.

Twins were very rare in the vampire world. They were prophesized to bring power to the Conclave they were born into. This was Japan's opportunity to raise their rank amongst the other Conclaves. It was their time. It was known that one would be stronger than the other. That one would bring great fame and supremacy to the Japanese Conclave. Also, the Sakuras would definitely make those twins to breed, it was necessary in order to strengthen their influence and keep the bloodline pure. Indeed, they had already done it.

"I would like to represent my son, Kuonji." He introduced. From the backstage, a young boy emerged from the shadows. Everyone looked at him in astonishment. They could feel that his aura was different from theirs. Truly, he was powerful. He stepped down from the platform and roamed inside the room. Wherever he went, eyes followed him. He was smiling in triumph as if he had won a great battle, not until his eyes met Natsume's. His curve lips suddenly turned into a thin line. It was only for a moment though. Nobody had noticed it except for Natsume himself.

"Where is your dear sister?" an old woman asked.

His lips twitched into a smile. "My fiancée's terribly ill. She's a frail and sickly kid, but she would recover."

"What is her name?" one teenage vampire asked.

"Mikan." He replied in a sweet tone. Then it hit all of them. He was obviously infatuated with her. The sound of her name in his lips was the evident proof of it. They wanted to get close with him, this was the other vampires' chance to impress the young boy and to get his attention they have to direct the conversation to his sister.

Koko along with Sumire walked towards Natsume. The raven-haired boy couldn't help but notice the bite marks on Sumire's neck. The two were probably busying themselves in the most secluded area in the room. "They're fraternal twins." Koko whispered softly.

Natsume smirked. It was an advantage to have Koko on his side. He was useful in these sorts of situations. "He's plain evil and nasty, I tell you." Natsume cocked a brow at his friend. It was blasphemous for Koko to speak that way. "Deep in his thoughts, he's bored and wishes that he could get away from this party already."

Kuonji slowly made his way toward Natsume. He stopped as soon as he was a few meters away from him. Koko offered his hand for him to shake. Kuonji didn't bother shaking it, his attention was fully captured by Natsume Hyuuga. Koko's hand awkwardly dropped down to his side and he continued to stay silent.

"A pleasure to meet you." greeted Sumire with a smile. She admitted to herself that Kuonji was handsome. He had such a deep look in his eyes that if you continue to stare at it, you would find yourself swimming in it. He had cute dimples too, she thought, such a shame it didn't go well with his snobbish attitude.

"You too." He replied although he was looking straight at Natsume.

"Kuonji," Kaoru called, taking the young boy's attention away from her son's. "How old are you in vampire years?"

He smiled. "Seventeen, madam."

"If you do need a mistress or someone to pleasure you, my daughter is freely welcome for you to have." Kaoru mused.

"I assure you that my future wife would be enough." replied Kuonji. His smile faded and was replaced by a sour scowl. Kaoru had once again succeeded in pissing another aristocratic vampire. She wasn't the type to sugarcoat her words, she had a sharp tongue and she often used it.

"Mother!" Aoi elbowed Kaoru on her side. "You're shameful! Let's get away before you do me more embarrassment." She curtsied at Kuonji before she pulled her mother away. She took one last look at him before going out of the room.

"Your mother is… bold." Kuonji commented as soon as he was sure that they were out of sight. It was clear to them that he was using terms that wasn't offensive to the ears, but Koko knew better. He could clearly read what was in his mind and in his mind were full of foul things that made Koko glower.

"Indeed she is." Natsume replied.

"I advise you to put a leash on her. She should know her place." He said suggestively.

Natsume's fists curled into a ball. He wanted to punch the brat's face. He had the guts to gaudily show his rude behavior over to someone who was a lot older than him. He was the one who should know his place, Natsume yelled in his mind. Apparently, Koko was the only one who could hear his mental outburst.

He gave one last smile before leaving them. He joined another group of vampires and he was clearly flaunting on how much he was enjoying the attention he was receiving.

Koko whistled. "Wow, I wonder what you did for you to deserve his resentment."

"He's a jerk," Sumire stated. "If he was a real gentleman, he would kiss my hand."

"What do you mean, Yome?" asked Natsume.

"As he was looking at you, he kept on sending mental pictures on different ways to torture you. Your mother added fuel to the fire as well. He was boiling in fury when she offered Aoi." Koko explained.

"I'm the one who wants to murder him." Natsume said. "I want to rip his tongue out."

"Just remember this, Natsume," Koko advised. "He's one person you don't want to make an enemy out of."

Natsume breathed. "I know."

* * *

A young girl of seventeen was sketching endlessly inside her room. Her drawings were scattered around the place. She didn't find it odd that she was relentlessly drawing the same thing for ten years straight already. She assumed that it started to become her habit. It started when she dreamt of his face in the middle of the night. He had allured her. He was a stranger to her yet it felt like she had known him for a long time.

The door opened and Kuonji stepped inside. He unbuttoned his shirt and went straight to his sister's side. He gave her a peck and sat on the edge of her bed.

"You should be resting." He said as he ran his fingers in her brown hair.

"I couldn't," she said. "I dreamt of _him_ again in my nap. This time he was drinking wine. He's so graceful and wonderful and I just have to draw him. Don't you find him beautiful?"

"Only because you drew him." He replied.

Kuonji glanced at her drawing and scowled. The stranger in her drawings was no longer a stranger to him. He had hated him for years and he had finally met him. He wanted to rip his heart out in public, although that would bring shame to his family. He didn't know how much restrain he had. He was impressed of himself to last that long.

He couldn't forget his damned mother. How dare the woman offered her daughter when he had the best woman he could have by his side.

"How was the party?" she asked excitedly.

"Boring," he replied. "You wouldn't enjoy it. It's a room full of old, nosy vampires. I'm glad you didn't come, you would be bored to death."

"Oh," she pouted. He felt a bit sorry for her and regretted on what he had just said. "I won't be bored. You say that because you're not locked in a room for years away from other people."

"Father would surely let you out someday." He encouraged her, although deep inside him he had hoped that their father wouldn't. He wanted her to stay in this room forever. He wanted her here where he knew she would be safe and where she would always be whenever he returns.

She tugged his sleeves. "Could you convince daddy to let me out? I'm longing to walk in a park and even attend school!"

"School? Bah!" her brother mocked. "Try taking my place in homeschool then you'll know how hard it is."

He noticed the tears forming at her sister's eyes. He wiped them away with his sleeve. "Don't cry, Mikan."

"I'm so tired being trapped inside of this room," she complained. "I want to live my life the way I want to."

"Father wouldn't approve of your idea," Kuonji said. "He wants you safe and so do I. You're special to the both of us. Once you're in the outside world, a lot of people would use and abuse you. I don't want that for you."

She rested her head on his shoulder. "But I wouldn't be taken advantage of if you're with me," she said, much to his delight. "You'll protect me, won't you?"

He smiled at her. She was his angel and he would do everything to keep her by his side, even if he became the devil to do so. "I will."

"I'm thirsty." Mikan said. Kuonji smiled devilishly and tapped his fingers on his neck. She smiled back and sank her fangs onto his skin. He wanted more of her. He closed his eyes tight and plunged his fangs against her neck and both of them dropped silently onto his sister's bed. Her hands were on his chest as his was around her back. He loved her madly and it was enough that she was by his side.

One day the time would come where they wouldn't just be brother and sister, but man and wife. He was yearning for that day to arrive soon.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Natsume's face drawn beautifully by his sister. He reached out for the drawing and crumpled it into a ball.

Tonight he didn't want his sister to dream of him.


	3. A Chanced Encounter

**Struck**

**Summary: **In Alice High, a group of elite teenagers are hiding a terrible secret. When you put Mikan Sakura into the equation, there's bound to be trouble, especially when their leader takes an interest on her.

**Note: **Originally Oops, I Think I'm In Love.

**Author's Note: **Hi guys! Thanks so much for the reviews, story followers, author alerts and putting me as one of your favorite authors. I love you all.

It was a Wednesday morning, just the usual sort of Wednesdays that people would complain for being too far from Friday nights. Apparently the Sakura household had more important problems to complain about than the usual people. After all, they were not the _usual_ sort.

Three maids were disfigured badly when Izumi woke to a scream. It didn't take long for him to deduce that it was Kuonji's doing. It was tiring being a father to an unmanageable child.

"What happened now?" asked Izumi as he found his only son biting a young male vampire.

Kuonji wiped the blood dripping from his mouth as he dropped the body on the floor. The poor bloke was drained to death, not one droplet of blood was left. Now, Izumi had to find another caretaker.

"Did you find her?" Kuonji's voice was low yet dangerous. Izumi arched a brow. He couldn't make out on what Kuonji was babbling about, not until he noticed the dismantled room and his daughter missing. When Kuonji was having his usual fits, it usually involved his sister.

"I just woke up." Izumi admitted. He wouldn't worry about the girl. She barely knew anything, she wouldn't get any farther than five miles. She would soon be back home any minute by now.

"Find her." Kuonji ordered.

"After breakfast." his father added.

"Now." Kuonji was suppressing the urge to shout at his father. He was aware that he was a terrible wreck without Mikan, but he knew better than to fight his father, especially without Mikan around. Things would get messy.

Izumi ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll have the local police find her."

"Humans?" Kuonji's tone was mocking. "They know nothing. They're a useless bunch." His face registered disgust and horror.

"Times have changed now, Kuonji. Humans adapt to their environment. It's evident that you have been gone far too long." Izumi said.

Kuonji stepped closer to Izumi. Both pair of eyes were looking right at each other. "Vampires adapt too, especially Mikan and I. We've seen humans come and go. We're the same as them. I wouldn't be this worried for my sister if she didn't forget her past memories."

Izumi's eyes narrowed. This was the first time Kuonji disclosed this information in seventeen years. "What are you talking about?"

"There is a discrepancy in the flow of our reincarnation. We are supposed to remember everything. I do, but she doesn't." he explained. "This is the reason I asked you a long time ago to lock her up and secure her safety. She's not ready to face the outside world." At least, not yet.

"You mean that she doesn't remember how to defend herself?" Izumi felt numb. If Kuonji was speaking the truth, then the lass would be in great danger. Now that he publicly announced his children's existence, someone was bound to rat it out to the other Conclaves. If they got her, especially now that when Mikan was in a vulnerable state, Izumi would lose the upper hand. He couldn't afford to let that happen now. His children were his best weapon.

"I'll notify my most excellent soldier to find her." he said as he left the room in haste.

As soon as his father was gone, Kuonji sauntered around the room quietly. It was Mikan's room yet it somehow didn't look like it at all. When he woke up not seeing her next on the bed, he went berserk and trampled everything his eyes could sight and his hands could hold on. He was a mess and Mikan was his control pill. He needed her badly and fast.

* * *

Listening to Misaki-sensei's talk bored Natsume to death. He had been speaking nonstop about how colors written in books were subliminal meanings of the author's emotion. He was chattering endlessly and Natsume didn't know how much longer he can last.

"Do you want me to yell at him?" inquired Ruka. Although the blonde boy had anger management issues, he was fine in other aspects. He was a caring and concern friend, well, only when it came to Natsume.

"Don't," was Natsume's reply. "I shouldn't encourage you letting yourself give in to your anger."

Ruka's lips twitched up. Natsume wasn't sure whether the boy was fighting himself not to smile or was irritated that his best friend was giving him a lecture. He decided that he would settle for the former.

When the bell rang, everyone gathered their things and went straight to the cafeteria. As soon as both boys got out of their room, Sumire crept up from behind.

"Have you guys seen Koko?" she asked.

"Stop keeping tabs on your boyfriend." Ruka said.

The green-haired girl grinded her teeth and decided to ignore him. "So Natsume, do you know where he is?"

"I'm not a lost and found center, Shouda," he seethed through his teeth. "But he's probably waiting for us in our usual spot in the canteen."

Sumire smacked her head. "Good call," she muttered as she took a few steps before them. "I'll go on ahead of you. I don't want to disturb your unraveling gay porn with Nogi here."

Nogi lifted his middle finger which Sumire countered with a raspberry.

"I don't know how Yome can stand her." Ruka whispered.

"Me neither." replied Natsume.

When they arrived in the cafeteria, they saw their other friends' heads poking out from a gathering crowd. Tsubasa was the first one who noticed Natsume and Ruka's coming.

"Hey!" he greeted coolly. Youichi rolled his eyes at his upperclassman. Whenever Tsubasa was acting cool, which was not the usual him, it always involved a girl. This time he had set his eyes on his classmate Misaki Harada. The girl was oblivious to Tsubasa's advances. She was a gossiper and her only concern was Sumire's mouth which usually blabbed stuff.

"What's happening?" asked Ruka. Natsume eyed the large group of students that surrounded their table. He didn't like how much attention they were getting from the humans. He wasn't a human-hater, but he didn't like them either. Youchi noticed Natsume's confusion and pointed his finger at Sumire who was busy talking with the crowd.

"What's the party like?" a girl asked. She and her peers were excited to know about the event. It was an exclusive party. There was no press around, unless you count the ones from outside the hotel. They wanted inside information and they knew Sumire would gladly give it to them, as long as you say please and shower her with compliments.

Sumire flipped her hair haughtily. The attention she was receiving had apparently gotten into her head. She lifted her chin and tilted her head a bit. "Well," she checked her well-polished nails before giving out her answer. "It's a fairly ordinary event. Nothing special." She decided to keep it minimal, she wanted them to ask for more questions, wanted them to plead for more, wanted them to grovel.

The listening group looked at her in disbelief. How can a party of Japan's most prominent people be _nothing_ special? It was a total bull. They needed more details but with Natsume around they were going to have a hard time getting anything from Sumire.

"Leave." Natsume instructed to the group. He glared coldly at them. He had a knack of driving people away, he never exerted extra effort in shunning them, just one glare from him and they would instantly avoid him. As soon as the word escaped from his lips, the crowd started to disperse. Not a single human was left to hear the end of Sumire's tale.

"What are you thinking?" he snapped at the green-haired vixen. Natsume was rarely seen angry; cold and distant but never angry. The girl was making him lose his patience.

"I don't think I did anything wrong." she explained.

"You could have exposed the existence of our kind. Human beings are curious in nature. If you continue arousing their curiosity, they're bound to discover who we really are." Natsume hissed.

"Natsume, don't be too harsh on her." Koko defended. "It won't happen again, I promise you that."

"You're not the one who should be making promises, Yome." Natsume warned.

"Fine," Sumire breathed in submission. "You win. I'm the bad guy. I won't do it again."

"That better be true." was Natsume's final statement in the matter.

Then that was it. They didn't talk about it anymore. They easily had forgotten how serious the matter was. That was one of their group's good traits. When the matter was already resolved, they won't bring it up again. Their following conversations shifted from sports to frustrating subjects, Youichi was mostly the one whining in every topic.

When Natsume's phone rang, their voices dropped. Natsume Hyuuga had a phone for one purpose only: to have the Conclave reach him wherever he was. He took out his Galaxy and pressed the answer button. "Yes?"

"I have a highly important mission for you." came from the other line. It was Izumi himself. Natsume never got to talk to Izumi personally on the phone, he had always communicated with his secretary whenever Izumi made him ran his errands. He immediately understood that this was something big.

"Go on." Natsume's fingers tapped the table impatiently. He was always the one eager to prove himself worthy to the Conclave.

"I want you and your group to find my daughter. She ran away and I want you to track her down. Make sure to enclose this information to you and to your group only." his voice was low yet clear. "If you found her, notify me as soon as possible and I will get her myself." Then he hung up.

"I can help you with that," Koko blurted. He just couldn't help but use his powers when he saw Natsume's expression on the phone. "I know what she looks like. I saw it in Kuonji's mind at the party."

"Care to share?" Hotaru asked.

* * *

Natsume decided that it was better if the group split, they had a greater chance to find the missing daughter if they did. As soon as they left the school grounds in secret, they had finally realized that they didn't have any clues to where the damn girl could be.

"This is hopeless." uttered Sumire. "We're doing a wild goose chase."

Natsume ignored her comment. He wanted someone who could give suggestions, not complaints. "Koko," he glanced at the boy. "Do you think you could trace her?"

Koko look worried. He never tried something this difficult before. He always had used his ability either for prying or for fun. He never tried to find a missing person using his talent but nonetheless... "I shall try," he added. "Just don't get your hopes up."

Everyone hushed when Koko closed his eyes. The more he could concentrate, the more better he could use his ability. All sorts of thoughts flashed inside his mind.

"Koko looks so damn funny right now." It was Tsubasa's voice. He sounded trying his best not to laugh out loud. Koko's forehead creased when he heard him. He decided to look farther. "Where are my glasses?!" It was another person. It meant that he could use his ability in great distances. That gave him hope. It meant that there was a possibility that he could find her.

He focused on her face, on her eyes, on her nose and every bit of detail he could remember from the party. Then it hit him. It felt like he was struck by lightning.

"I know where she is." he mentioned and that put a smirk onto Natsume's lips.

Koko was the first one to run. They needed to get there fast. It was their perfect opportunity to reach her. That place was only ten blocks from their school. The others followed him from behind. They made surprising turns in alleys and they even passed Old Man Somu's restaurant in a blink of an eye. There were only a few people in town at late mornings. Most were either at school or at their workplace and this was the perfect moment to use their amazing speed.

They halted when Koko stopped in front of a metallic archway that had Tokyo Park engraved on it. They all turned their heads to the brown-haired boy who was insisting them to enter.

"Are you sure she's there? Really sure?" Youichi gave him a dubious look. He scanned the name again and cringe. It was highly doubtful that the Sakura heiress would spend her time in the park. It was the most boring places in the world. He couldn't understand why human beings had invented it for leisure.

"Hey," Koko shrugged his shoulders. "This was the place I saw in her head."

They entered the park. It was silent as hell. They were starting to doubt Koko if whether she was really there or not. The place looked practically abandoned. This wasn't the right place if the girl wanted to take a swig of freedom. But then they were proven wrong.

They all saw her at the same time. Well, who wouldn't notice a girl in white standing in the middle of nowhere? She looked almost identical as a ghost. It would have been eerie if it wasn't daytime. Natsume was the first to lurch forward. She was a bit slow to his sudden movement. He tightly gripped her arms without even sparing a single space for her to budge. He wasn't making it any easier.

"What are you doing?" she shouted. She didn't even exert any effort in resisting, she was simply bouncing on her feet. It was hard to believe that she was Kuonji's twin, but then again, Koko had said they weren't identical. If Kuonji got the good looks and amazing vampire prophecy-shit powers, then what was left of this girl? Obviously, she had to be the weaker twin, the useless one.

"Are you Mikan Sakura?" Natsume blurted. The moment the question escaped from his mouth, he regretted it. He just couldn't believe it was her. She looked human in all aspects, not until her hair strands gave way for his eyes to see her neck. There was a fresh bite mark. The mark looked bluish and it probably stung, Natsume knew that Kuonji's fangs and the girl's endurance were not to be underestimated. One look at that bite and one would know that it can almost knock out any vampire.

Koko jogged to them. He bent a bit to see her face hidden from her messy hair. "Yep, looks like we found her."

"Did my brother send you here?" she asked. "I demand an explanation." When she glanced at her apprehender, her eyes widened in shock. It was him! She carefully drank his features. He was the same boy she had constantly drawn on her paper. She had known him for ten years and felt that he was no longer a stranger. She didn't know why but she felt safe around him. After all, other than the people in the Sakura household, he was the only face she had known who had connection with the outside world.

Natsume sensed that her resistance was beginning to falter. He noticed his red handprints against her pale skin and decided to loosen up a bit, but not too much for her to escape.

"We would prefer if you would just be silent." Sumire hissed. She was furious. Her hairstyle was messed up because of one little vampire princess. It took her hours to style her hair. And it was all ruined in one run.

She was a bitch in Sumire's dictionary.

"Oh my god," the brunette beamed. "She's mad at me! A first!"

_...and perhaps a madwoman as well._

"What now?" Hotaru asked. She glanced at the girl whom she caught smiling at her. Hotaru scowled appallingly. The girl needed a serious whack on the head and Hotaru was willing to volunteer for it.

"Isn't it dangerous to wait for Izumi here?" Youichi was right. Waiting for Izumi to come in this place was a risk that would expose the girl. Natsume nodded in approval. For once the boy had used his brain.

"Strange," the girl muttered. Natsume placed her on his shoulder and carried her. Much to everyone's surprise, she finally stopped struggling. "How come we vampires don't burn under sunlight?"

Sumire secretly twirled her finger at her temple. Koko snickered at his beloved's action.

"A rumor spread by our kind to let the earlier humans believe that we can't walk under the sun." Natsume answered.

"Oh." she gasped as she swung her feet in the air. Natsume was doing his best to avoid getting hit.

Clearly, the girl was an idiot. He couldn't understand why a boy like Kuonji was choosing this woman. Aoi was far more beautiful than this minx. Okay, that was the issue. He wasn't just mad at Kuonji for insulting his mother but also for rejecting Aoi. What did this wench have that Aoi didn't? This woman's sole good quality was her high prestige heritage. Aoi also have that and a lot of other attributes as well. Kuonji was probably crazy as his sister.

"Let's take her to the school. The other vampires will have a less time finding her there with lots of teenage students around." Natsume said.

Mikan's ears perked when she heard the word, school. It was amazing how her wishes were finally coming true and it was happening within the same day. First was her stroll at the park, second was her dream to enter a school and third was finally getting meet him.

"You," she called. "What's your name?"

He didn't bother replying at all.


	4. He Was Struck

**Struck**

**Summary: **In Alice High, a group of elite teenagers are hiding a terrible secret. When you put Mikan Sakura into the equation, there's bound to be trouble, especially when their leader takes an interest on her.

**Note: **Originally Oops, I Think I'm In Love.

Natsume's circle was a group of private individuals. If Sumire didn't exist, then perhaps no one could acquire any information regarding them…unless you count The Lady. To have their own campus compound, their families paid a reasonable sum to the school heads. If you count millions as reasonable, then yes, it was worth it. Nobody had gotten past beyond their compound's gates. The group asked for privacy and that was what they got.

Mikan sat on the couch stiffly as she scanned the room in excitement. All the items were extravagant, she could tell since who wouldn't notice the magnificent chandelier hanging on the ceiling, the carpeted floors, the colossal fireplace, the mini bar and the classy furniture? She began fantasizing exploring the building on her own. She already would have if the door wasn't blocked.

"Where did Natsume go?" the blonde boy asked to the dark-haired one. Mikan studied their faces carefully. She was awed on how beautiful they were. She found Kuonji attractive and regal as well, but these two emitted a different kind of attraction. Kuonji was dark and brooding yet alluring while these two were bright and easy to talk to. She was learning the way the move and the way the respond. It struck her that they were different from the vampires at her house. In the Sakura household, everyone was cold, distant and uncommunicative. In here, everybody was a bunch of rowdy creatures.

Hotaru jerked her chin at the door in response to Ruka's question. "He's alerting Izumi."

"So it was daddy who sent you to get me." It was the first time Mikan had spoken ever since she arrived five minutes ago. The group looked at her lazily. They didn't even bother replying to her statement.

"So," Tsubasa spoke as he sat beside the girl. He made sure not to get close with her, he didn't want her germs to rub on him. He was intrigued with the woman. He never found a female vampire as different as her. Unlike the ones he met, she never cared for physical appearances. She was filthy and she didn't care what they were thinking about her. "What's the Main House like? Got any dirty details to spare?"

Mikan looked at him in wonder. "Main House?" she repeated as if testing the words in her lips. "What's that?"

"The school's bathroom," he answered sarcastically. When he noticed the quizzical look that the brunette was giving him, he added jokingly. "Your residence, that's what I mean."

"Oh," she uttered. She felt a bit taken back by him. Nobody was sarcastic to her before, everyone took her seriously. This was definitely new to her. "I never knew you guys call my house the Main House."

Sumire rolled her eyes at the girl's answer.

Apparently, Sumire's action wasn't gone unnoticed by Mikan. "That's not very nice," she commented. "It's making me want to pull your eyes from your sockets."

Youichi coughed on his drink. That was the first time the girl ever said something offensive throughout the entire course of the day. They all looked at her with wary eyes. She looked like a fool before but she was still Kuonji's twin. She was probably faking the act, trying to lower their defenses and then she'll strike. _She was probably another manipulative vampire..._

Then she laughed hysterically. They were confused by her doing. She wasn't a vampire, they concluded. She was a witch and a wicked one at that.

"I was only kidding," she admitted. "You guys should have seen the look on your faces."

_...or maybe not after all._

Tsubasa forced out a laugh. He couldn't make out what just happened. She was a very misleading creature, he mentally took note of that.

Koko leaned forward at Tsubasa. He felt the brown-haired boy's soft breathing against his left ear. "She's not misleading," he whispered. "What goes out from her mouth is what comes from her head."

Tsubasa rubbed his nose and glanced at the girl again. "You're funny. Ha-ha!" he faked the laugh and decided to let the talk die down. He knew that he wasn't going anywhere with the girl.

When Natsume entered the room, every pair of eyes in the room stared at him. It was irritating that everyone was just looking at him. "What?" he asked.

Then everyone went back to their own businesses. Youichi continued drinking from his tumbler, Ruka busied himself by sauntering around the room as if it was his first time touring the place, Hotaru casually opened a book, Sumire switched small talks with Koko and Tsubasa was avoiding glancing at the brunette.

Natsume cocked a brow and then his eyes rolled at the girl. She was looking at him eagerly as if she was waiting for him to do a trick. She was terribly filthy. Her fingernails were grimy, her hair was tangled into knots, her feet was soiled with mud and he didn't like how it was ruining his carpet, and there were traces of unknown substances smudged on her dress. He ignored her and went to Hotaru.

"Izumi's on the way," he told her. "I already asked the school chairman to grant him access."

"Ugh." was the stoic girl's response.

Mikan let her shoulders sag. Izumi would be furious if he knew what she was doing. He wanted her to be proper and prim. He wanted her to act regal at all times just like her brother. She remembered how strict Izumi was when she was a young kid. He would punish her if he saw her not following his rules. It was Kuonji who made her last this long. He was always there for her.

"Ummm," Mikan hummed. They all turned to her with expecting expressions carved on their faces. "May I use the bathroom? Daddy would be furious if he saw me like _this_."

Natsume's lip drew into a thin line. He gestured Hotaru to help the girl which the Ice Queen unwillingly accepted. She pulled the girl into her room and showed her the bathroom. "Towels are in the cabinet," she instructed. "Feel free to use any of the essentials on the sink, apparently I'll be replacing them later." She eyed the girl's grubby hands.

"Thank you." Mikan muttered as she stepped inside the room.

"I'll lend you some clothes, I'll leave them on the bed." Hotaru said as she closed the door.

She swore she would make Natsume pay her back twice. She began computing the numbers in her head as she pulled out a short baby blue dress from her wardrobe. It was an old dress of hers yet she planned to claim that it was a recent buy. Natsume Hyuuga had fallen into her trap.

* * *

Sumire pinched the bridge of her nose. Her conversation with Koko last night on the phone kept her up which summed up her headache. She adored the boy but not as much as he adored her. They weren't really a couple, just a simple mutual attraction that would lead nowhere. Sometimes she couldn't help the nagging feeling behind her head that the boy wanted more and she couldn't afford to give it.

She looked up to Koko's brown eyes. She couldn't follow on what he was talking about. She hoped that her simple nods were a proper response to his talks.

"So?" he said, causing Sumire's attention to flicker back. "What do you think?"

The green-haired vixen pursed her lips. She wasn't listening and she regretted it. "Sorry," she apologized. "I wasn't listening. I had my mind somewhere."

Koko's cheerful glow dimmed. "Nah," he waved his hand at her face. "It's fine. I shouldn't subject you to my nonsense."

Sumire slowly reached to his hand and gave it a squeeze. "Sorry, hon."

Her words shot his lips into a smile.

The door to Hotaru's room slightly opened and the girl strode out. Hotaru headed straight to the bar and Natsume couldn't help the sensation that the girl was snickering at him as she passed by.

"Boy," Tsubasa blurted, making Natsume's attention flew to his upperclassman. "You should have arrived couple of minutes ago. That Kuonji's twin was acting nuts. Years of concealment must have cracked her head hard."

The raven-haired boy's Conclave senses were tingling. Having Tsubasa talk about her like that was against his principles. Perhaps the brunette was crazy, but she still held a high position, not just in the Japanese Conclave but also throughout the entire vampire colonies. And yet, he couldn't help but agree more to what Tsubasa was saying.

"Between you and me," Tsubasa whispered then he gestured his companion to lean closer which Natsume obeyed. "She might not be a vampire. My inner Sherlock Holmes says she's a witch." Natsume felt dumb for even bothering to listen to Tsubasa Andou's immature and silly notions. Natsume admitted to himself that sometimes he believed that his upperclassman was taking drugs.

The front door was ajar. Before even Natsume knew it, Hotaru escaped through the window and disappeared along with the wind. There was only one answer when the girl acted like that. Izumi was already here and he was right.

Izumi tapped the boy's shoulder. The group hadn't seen him enter, Izumi Sakura was light on his feet and he often used it to his advantages. Natsume saluted him which made the others did the same. It was still an incredible feeling to have their Conclave's chairman inside the room and only meters away from them.

"I believe you have something of mine." Izumi said with a wry smile.

"Yes, sir." was Natsume's response. He stood straight and dodged to look at Izumi's eyes to show respect. He was a trained soldier and he was trained to treat Izumi as his superior. "She's currently cleaning up. She'll be done in no time."

Izumi was still smiling, pleased that his dog was doing his bidding perfectly. "You've done a great service to our Conclave, boy. I assure you that your deed would be rewarded."

"Thank you, sir."

The slightly opened door suddenly went wide as if a gust of wind blew by. From the other side stood Kuonji who was rigidly breathing looking like he ran a marathon. His messy black hair was damped with sweat and his appearance wasn't faring well. Natsume doubted if this boy was the same as the one he saw in the party.

"Where is she?" he had asked. He stomped to the direction of his father and yanked his collar. "She's been missing far too long! Where is she?"

Izumi's smile was replaced with a frown. He pushed Izumi's hands away and glared at him. "You wrinkled my Armani shirt," he commented as he brushed his white polo shirt. "Your sister has been found. I think you would know that since if you didn't you wouldn't be here at all."

"She's cleaning up." Tsubasa said.

Kuonji glanced at him with cold set of eyes. It was piercing as if he was looking right at your soul, the problem was Tsubasa had no soul. He was damned just like the rest of them. "I wasn't talking to you. Learn your place, feeble creature." He jeered.

There was a loud scrape from the chair. Youichi was standing up and he was looking at Kounji with condemning eyes. "Don't talk to him like that!" he yelled. It was repressing the urge to use a profanity against him. Even though Tsubasa was an annoying upperclassman to him, he didn't deserve to receive the brat's wrath. There was only one person who could mock him like that and that was Youichi.

"How dare you answer back to me!" cried Kuonji. Now he was boiling with rage. The cheeky child had the audacity to shout at him. His ego wouldn't accept it and it demanded the child to have his blood sucked. His fangs went free and it was ready to plunge at the boy's neck anytime.

"Now, now," Izumi interrupted. "Settle your argument in another time and in another place. We can't have you boys spill your blood on this Persian carpet, can we?"

Kuonji's eyes never averted from Youichi's, he was looking straight at them. One wrong move from the opposite party, then he would attack. He was waiting for Youichi to do something but it never came. "Coward Halfling." He mouthed.

Youichi's fingers curled into a ball. He wanted to attack and inflict even the slightest damage he could manage to the retard's body. He knew he was no match for him, but it would do him the utmost pleasure even if one bruise was laid his opponent's body. If only he didn't see Tsubasa's shaking eyes, he would have done it. He channeled his inner matureness and released his anger.

Kuonji was a tad disappointed. He wanted the Hijiri's son to lose control and the first one to make the move. He was peeved that the boy wasn't easily manipulated as he thought. He was longing to crush his skull against the floor. He wanted to show them that Kuonji Sakura wasn't to be trifled with. His eyes rolled to the most unpleasant sight he had ever seen throughout the entire day.

The Hyuuga boy was staring right back at him. His blazing red eyes triggered a long forgotten memory he hoped he wouldn't remember. It was from his previous life and it was the day he lost his beloved sister.

There was a soft creak that came from a door. Mikan hesitated to come out, she felt conscious of the dress that the girl had let her borrowed. It was a fitted baby blue dress and it showed her curvaceous physique. She stepped out from the door and immediately felt the uncomfortable silence in the room.

Tsubasa felt that his jaw fell. He studied her well and couldn't believe it what he saw. She was beautiful—too beautiful. The filth had completely hidden her beauty and now that it was gone she proved to be a gem. Her face was incomparable to another female vampire. Hers equaled to a goddess. He regretted not making any physical contact with her. He thought that she probably believed that he was such a jerk.

Kuonji's patience was growing thin. He wanted to leave as soon as possible. He wanted Mikan away from anyone's sight. It was to be expected. Mikan had always entranced a lot of men in the past and he always confident that none would succeed in wooing her. This time was different. There was an existence that greatly affected his assurance that he would always have her. He glanced at that infuriating being.

Wherever she went, Natsume's eyes followed. Now he had finally understood why a man like Kuonji would choose this woman over Aoi. He was wrong to even match her sister against Mikan. If hundreds could offer their lives to his little sister, thousands would succumb to Mikan's will. She was a sparkling flame and he was a pitiful moth. He wanted to get close, but the biggest obstacle wasn't her fire but her brother.

"Daddy, forgive me." The brunette apologized with her head cast low. She anticipated that a slap would follow but it didn't come. It never came. She looked up and saw her father calm. She heaved a relieved sigh. She glanced at her brother who was watching her with conniving eyes. She gulped in horror. Apparently, her action wouldn't be overlooked by her brother. She knew that her punishment wouldn't come from Izumi but from Kuonji himself.

She walked to him and tightly held his hand. Kuonji's fingers intertwined with hers. It raised her confidence that perhaps her punishment would be light. "I'm sorry." She whispered to him.

The boy gave out a yielding groan. He was weak against her. He wanted to punish her as soon as they returned home, but her pleading eyes and her soft voice made him think otherwise. She was too much for him to handle. "Let's leave." He whispered back as he dragged her out of the room.

Kuonji's eyes took one last glimpse at Natsume. He had to make sure that the boy knew his place. That she was out of his reach. He pulled the girl close and wrapped his arm around her intimately. He saw Natsume's knuckles turning white and then he smirked. _She's mine_, that was the gist of his action. _Mine._

Natsume understood. He didn't bother using Koko's ability to understand what Kuonji did. Admittedly, he had done that as well in the past. He used the same move on his little sister when her suitors were around. Thing was he did it for a different reason. He did it to shoo those pesky chumps away. On the other hand, Kuonji did it to mark his possession of the girl.

Before Mikan could disappear in Natsume's line of sight, she waved her hand at him to bid farewell. Natsume recognized the look in her eyes. It was a sign that they would see again soon. He hold on to that thought.

"I shall now take my leave." Izumi announced as he followed his children outside.

There was a lingering silence that happened when the Sakuras left their territory. Not one sound was made, not until Tsubasa called for the raven-haired boy's attention. "Shit, Kuonji's a lucky bastard."

Natsume agreed. It was unfair that the bastard had it all. He was rich, famous, powerful, and he had _her_. Then Tsubasa's previous comment had struck Natsume deep. Mikan Sakura was indeed a witch and she had cast a spell over him.

_Oh, fuck._ Those words were what Koko read in his friend's mind. It was a sign. A sign that Natsume had fallen into a heap of shit he couldn't get himself out.


	5. Unraveling Past

**Struck**

**Summary:** In Alice High, a group of elite teenagers are hiding a terrible secret. When you put Mikan Sakura into the equation, there's bound to be trouble, especially when their leader takes an interest on her.

**Note:** Originally Oops, I Think I'm In Love. This chapter has been proofread by SilencedByMidnight. Check some of her works because she's really an awesome writer. Ta-ta!

_The fire was unstoppable. It had already spread throughout the entire room within a short span of time. Smoke was already filling up the room and she could barely breathe. There was no use of escaping, the remains of the burnt ceiling had fallen and jammed her only exit, crushing her chances of escaping through the door. She didn't want to die, she had to live. She had to know the truth. She had to find out why she had been betrayed._

_Then the ground she was standing on gave way and she fell to her demise._

Mikan woke up from the nightmare. It felt too real, too upsetting. She was panting madly and was covered in cold sweat. She shivered from fright. It was the first time she had ever dreamt of something like this. She remembered her brother saying that her memories from her previous lives would return. She felt great fear for what was to come. Perhaps her memories were so horrible to the extent that she, herself, had purposely forgotten it. She doubted she even wanted to remember them.

She had resolved that she needed to know about two things: the traitor's identity and the treacherous act that had befallen to her previous self. It seemed important enough for her previous self to struggle against death.

There was really only one way to find out. She had to talk to her brother who was the only individual to know about her previous life.

She rose from her bed and swaggered to the door with the moonlight as her only guide. It was an undeniable fact that the Sakura residence needed more space. The hallway was furnished with the most expensive decorations which occupied most of the limited space in the narrow hall. It was practically a maze with the objects as borders and the darkness as an obstacle.

Once she reached the furthest room down the corridor, she softly knocked on the door and entered in the quietest fashion that she could. Kuonji's room was barely filled with any furniture. All he had was a king-sized bed, a study table and a huge closet for his clothes. He was a minimalist and Mikan wondered if he had been like that in his past life as well.

She saw him sleeping soundly on his bed. As she slipped next to him, she noticed him shifting and as fast as lightning he swung himself onto her. He was on top of her, with her legs between his, and was watching her with a shrewd expression. He looked somewhat different or maybe it was just the moonlight playing tricks on her eyes.

"Mikan," the sound of her name coming out from his lips tempted Mikan to run her fingers in through his shiny, black hair. They were twins but there was nothing similar about their looks. He was a ferocious vulture and she was a weak redwing. They were very different yet they completely understood one another. "What are you doing here?"

She was still staring at him, admiring his physical qualities. She just couldn't take her eyes away from him. Her reverie ended when he slipped his hand under her loose shirt. When she figured that he was attempting to remove her bra strap, she pulled his hand away much to his annoyance. He thought that she was trying to seduce him, believing that she was looking at him rather _suggestively_. Apparently, that wasn't what she had in mind.

"I want to ask you a few questions, Kuonji."

He cocked a brow. Mikan barely asked him about anything. She often visited his room for quick _snacks_, not for questions. It was a first and he was worried.

"Shoot." He rolled unto his side and landed right beside her.

"Well," she was nervous, he thought as she was fiddling with the tips of her hair. She often did that when she was worrying about something. "I want to ask you about my previous life. I want to know who I was."

Her words caught him off guard. He never expected that this day would finally come—that she would have the courage to ask him about her previous life. He suddenly felt that his throat had run dry. He tried to say something but his tongue wasn't cooperating. Mikan noticed that her brother was having a hard time on discussing about this and she wanted to relieve him. "Who was I?" she asked.

Kuonji didn't want to answer her question. Mikan wasn't ready to hear about it, especially when she had forgotten her memories. There was a lot at stake—even her trust. If he tried to keep avoiding her questions, the time would come where she was bound to discover the truth. But he wanted her to hear it from himself.

"Your name was Sophie Puzo and I was Richard Puzo," he spoke. She leaned closer eager to hear more of his tale. "The year was 1969 and we were from the Italian Conclave."

"Tell me more." pleaded the girl.

"Our parents were greedy fellows. When they realized that Isabelle had given birth to twins, they tried their best to buy their way to the top." Kuonji was clenching his fist, whatever happened between him and his mother was a sensitive issue. "She was a maddening woman and the Italian chairman herself got rid of her." He noticed the sad look swirling in Mikan's eyes and added. "Forget about her, Mikan. She wasn't a good mother to us. We were only her instruments to secure her position at the top."

She pursed her lips. The way Kuonji had talked about Isabelle was unsettling. Her brother's emotions usually revolved around her and having another woman making him like this made Mikan's stomach churn. "Was I any different in the past? Did you fall in love with another girl?"

He cracked a smile and chuckled softly. It was a pleasant sound to hear since he was in a fairly good mood. "No, I never did. You were always the only one, even now." She smiled sheepishly at his response. "You have always been the same, my darling. Our appearances might have kept on changing, but we were always like this—fun, sweet and adorable."

He kissed her on her forehead, then her eyelids, her nose and finally on her lips. She was swooning over his actions. She implored for a clear head but Kuonji wasn't allowing it.

Mikan buried her face against his chest. He had strong, broad shoulders and arms and she felt perfectly secure in them. His hands found their way around her small frame and with a short intake of breath, he pulled her closer to him. Their legs tangled along with the sheets, their arms locked in an embrace, and his fingers were fisting her luscious, brown hair.

It was a perfect and peaceful moment. There was, however, still one question lingering in her head and it was bugging her.

"Kuonji, how did I die?"

It took him a few seconds to respond to her question.

"You had a terrible influenza. I was too late to notice your illness. Forgive me, my dear." He said. "Let's not talk about this anymore. I resent the day that I lost you."

She lay completely still and looked straight at Kuonji's eyes but there was no trace of any uncertainty or any hesitance. She wanted to ask him, but she was afraid of what he would say. She wanted to ask him, but it might upset him. She wanted to ask him, 'Why did you lie to me?', but she didn't.

* * *

Her amethyst eyes flickered back and forth across the room. Koko and Ruka had been fighting for the umpteenth time this month. She and Sumire had been drawing their breaths since the fight had started, which was five and a half minutes ago. Their arguments had always been about Sumire and this one was no different.

Ruka knocked Koko off his ground with a violent kick to his back. Koko landed against the wall and it took him a few seconds to regain his strength and composure. Both of the boys were bruised badly but not one of them wanted to surrender to the other. It would be an endless fight if no one decided to intervene.

Hotaru turned to her companion. "Seaweed," she called much to Sumire's displeasure. "What is all this about?"

The green-haired vixen fidgeted in her seat. She glanced at the ruined room and her eyes leapt back to Hotaru.

"I have been experiencing a major headache from Ruka taunting me nonstop. I asked him to stop, but he wouldn't listen. When does he ever listen?" she kept on explaining or _ranting on_. "Koko stepped up and defended my name, but Ruka never bothered hearing him out. Then, it just started." _It_ referred to the brawl and it had led to a few broken vases, torn wallpapers, couple of scathed paintings and a ruined carpet.

"Do you think I should stop the fight?" asked Sumire.

"You?" Hotaru looked at her in mock horror. "Oh please, it would just make the fight worse. Wait for Hyuuga and he'll clear this up in no time."

"Do you think he'll be paying for the damages?"

Hotaru suppressed the urged to roll her eyes at that. There really were moments when Sumire was being annoyingly dumb. Hotaru Imai wasn't known for her patience in handling with idiots. She ate them for breakfast normally, too bad Sumire looked revolting enough to keep Hotaru's appetite in check.

"I would prepare my credit card if I were you." she replied.

When Natsume entered the room, he actually doubted whether he had entered the right one. The place was unrecognizable to what it had looked like when he had left. It was a mess and he wanted to plunge a stake into everyone's hearts. He had only been gone for twenty minutes max and this was what had happened.

He dashed to Ruka and hit him on his side. Koko hollered in delight at this, but it was short lived when Natsume did the same to him.

"Why can't the both of you act more civilized?" he screamed at them. The two boys looked at one another before hitting the ground with a loud thud. He scanned the room and his vision zeroed in on Sumire. He strode past the vase shards, the ripped painting remains and halted right before a reproachful looking Sumire.

Sumire raised her hands in defeat. "Once again, I am at fault. I know, I know. I'll pay for the reimbursements and let's get this over with."

Natsume gazed at the blasted girl sternly.

"This is the problem with you. You have to change that attitude of yours!"

The girl's lips thinned into a narrow line. It was infuriating that all the problems created by the group were blamed on her even though she didn't do it intentionally. Natsume's reprimanding wasn't helping her massive headache. Her vision started to dim and she felt all the strength she had left was leaving her body.

"Hey—" His eyes widened at how pale the girl looked. She looked weak and sickly and he felt guilty for yelling at her. "Hey, Sumire, are you okay?"

"I'm… I'm…" she was beginning to lose her senses. Her vision started to fade and without realizing it she had zoned out. Her body landed straight onto Hotaru's lap. The ebony-haired girl dropped her uncaring façade and helped lie Sumire down comfortably.

"I'll get some clean towels," Hotaru said as she brushed past Natsume. "Get Yome and tell him to take better care of his girl." Natsume nodded and went to Koko who was still lying unconscious on the ground. He continuously nudged him with his feet, trying to get the lad up.

As soon as Koko got up, Natsume pointed at Sumire.

Koko dashed to the girl's side and brushed his hands through her hair affectionately. He was cursing himself, how could he have let this happen to her? "Sumi, Sumi…" he kept on muttering her pet name, hoping his voice would wake her up. It didn't happen.

Natsume decided to leave the two alone and took a stroll around the campus. He didn't mind all the girls ogling at him or the boys glancing at him. He yearned for a peaceful mind and the only way he could acquire that was if he spent some time alone.

As he looked past the horizon, to the direction of the sunset, images of _her_ played in his mind. It had been a total of two weeks since he last saw her. He had been living for over 200 years yet he had never seen anyone as beautiful as her. He wanted to get to know her better, but it was impossible, mainly because the girl had a possessive vulture for a brother. He craved for another meeting. He wanted to prove himself to her that he wasn't the boy she thought he was. He was regretting that he didn't treat her well, in fact he had been a total ass when they met.

His line of thoughts was put to a halt when his phone rang. He fished the phone out from his pockets and looked at the caller ID. It was Kaoru Hyuuga. "Yes?"

"Natsume!" his mother howled on the other line. She sounded drunk and he didn't want to ask if she really was. "I've got a surprise for you." she hiccupped and broke into a series of giggles. "Aoi's planning a huge birthday bash for herself! I never thought that this day would finally come. Can you imagine it? My little Aoi planning a party? I was thrilled and I had to celebrate!" Hence, the drinking had commenced. "She invited all the socialite vampires! This is going to be spectacular!"

The word, socialite, echoed in his ears. It lit up some hope inside of him. He didn't know whether this was a divine opportunity or serendipity or a fated chance. All he knew was that he was grateful at Aoi. "Mother, did Aoi invite the Sakuras?"

"Of course, she did!" his mother sang. "She set her goal into capturing Kuonji Sakura's attention. We're going to fish the biggest catch of all season."

Natsume wasn't pleased with what his mother was saying. He had predicted that the plan would be a disaster and he wanted to save his family from the trouble, but yet he found himself not wanting to. He was itching to scold his mother to say that what Aoi was doing was wrong, but he didn't. Somewhere deep inside of him, a little voice was saying that this would be the perfect opportunity to see Mikan Sakura again. He didn't want to mess that chance up.

"Mother, did Aoi also invite his sister?" he asked vaguely. He was curious but he also didn't want to reveal too much. He didn't enjoy the idea of his mother being ecstatic over the fact that he didn't turn out to be gay after all.

"The other twin?"

"Well, she didn't," Natsume's hope was blown into smithereens. "But now that you mentioned it, I think it would be a great move to invite the girl. It would strengthen our connections with the Sakuras. I guess we could squeeze in a spot for the girl."

At that, he felt a smile forming on his lips.


	6. Calm Before The Storm

**Struck**

**Summary:** In Alice High, a group of elite teenagers are hiding a terrible secret. When you put Mikan Sakura into the equation, there's bound to be trouble, especially when their leader takes an interest on her.

**Note:** Originally Oops, I Think I'm In Love. This chapter has been proofread by SilencedByMidnight. Check some of her works because she's really an awesome writer. Ta-ta!

This is just in, Alicians. Kokoro Yome and Ruka Nogi fought, almost damaging the 1.2 million yen estate of their circle. Rumor has it that Sumire Shouda is ill and is currently confined in one of the finest hospitals of Japan for an unspecified illness. As for the pretty boy Natsume Hyuuga, his sister, Aoi Hyuuga of E! Management is throwing a party in celebration of her 16th birthday.

xoxo The Lady

Sumire groaned despairingly as she read the entire article on her phone. When she recovered from unconsciousness, she found herself lying on a hospital bed. It was unfair that she was sick and couldn't attend Aoi's party this week. The doctor had said that she would be released next week, claiming that she needed a break from school (or perhaps he was just scheming to get more dough from the Shoudas' pockets).

She searched for Koko's contact and decided to give him a call. It only took her a few seconds of waiting before Koko answered his cell phone.

"Hey, babe." He greeted cheerily.

"You sound… _happy_." she said dryly. She felt a bit disappointed. She expected that the boy would be moping since she wasn't there by his side, when in truth it was the exact opposite. He sounded like he was enjoying himself.

"Well," he cleared his throat. "I didn't want you to worry about me, hon, so I'm spending my free time with Tsu-man. We're currently playing Call of Duty, would you mind if I call you later?"

She pouted. She was anticipating that the boy had been waiting for her call, turned out that he was playing some rubbish game. She was furious. "Hmph!" she grunted. "Do whatever you want!" Then she hung up.

Koko glanced at Tsubasa who was totally engrossed at the screen before him. He believed that he had just entered Sumire's Inferno. He thought that if he let her believe that he was reveling in something else to pass the time, the girl's worry would fade away. After all, Koko wanted Sumire to be assured that all she had left in the dorm would be in place—her stuff and his heart.

"Tsubasa, I think Sumire's mad at me." Koko mentioned.

"What did you do this time?" Tsubasa asked without sparing much of a glance at his friend.

"That's the problem!" Koko pointed. "I don't know what the problem is. She just said, 'Do whatever you want!'" He tried his best to mimic Sumire's high-pitched voice, but his imitation just sounded like a series of annoying squeaks and shrills.

"Oh, boy." Tsubasa uttered as he bit his lower lip. His tone worried Koko and the boy feared that this event would make him lose Sumire for good. "When a girl tells you to do anything you want, it means that she's mad and you have to do something about it."

"Should I give her space?" Koko asked.

"NO!" cried Tsubasa in horror. "Girls are cunning creatures, man. They expect us to read their signals even though they're really baffling. If Sumire told you to do anything you want, don't do anything _you_ want. It's the basics, dude!"

"But isn't that doing the exact opposite she just said?" inquired the brown-haired boy.

Tsubasa leaned closer and draped his arm around Koko's shoulder. "Precisely," he replied. "If they tell you to do something, do the opposite. If she tells you that she doesn't want chocolates, give her some!"

"Wait, hold up." Koko raised his arms in defeat. "What if she says she wants chocolates, should I give her some?"

"Duh!" Tsubasa roared. "Here's rule A.1: If a girl wants chocolates, give her some, if she doesn't, give her some still."

Koko scratched his head in confusion. "What if she really means that I shouldn't do it?"

Tsubasa shrugged his shoulders. "That would be an exception and it would lead to rule, A.2."

"Man, that's confusing." Koko stated.

"I know," Tsubasa groaned. "I've been studying about female signals for years and I still can't fully grasp it. Look, this is what you should do: give her a ring and a pair of shoes. Girls love that stuff."

"You mean, _human_ girls," Koko corrected. "Sumire's a vampire so there must be something different."

"You're right. Female vampires are needier than human girls." Tsubasa agreed. "Give her two pieces of jewelry: a ring and a necklace preferably. Then give her two pair of shoes."

Koko tilted his head. "That sounds about right."

Koko gathered the wind at his feet and made a run for the door, zooming past Natsume who was just about to step into the game room. The raven-haired boy's eyes darted from Tsubasa who was whistling and to Koko who was leaving the compound.

"Where's Yome going?" asked Natsume.

"To his doom…" Tsubasa replied.

Natsume rolled his eyes and went straight to the CD closet to pick a game. He fumbled through the drawers, looking for something he had never played before. The upcoming Saturday was Aoi's birthday and there was still no indication that the Sakuras had accepted the invitation. Most of the invitees have already confirmed that they would be coming. He was suspicious that the heavens were playing a cruel joke on him.

"Hey, Andou," Natsume called, toning his voice down and acting like there was nothing suspicious at all about his inquiry. "What's a good excuse to hang out with, _uh_, girls?"

Tsubasa halted what he was doing and slowly turned to Natsume with a flabbergasted expression carved on his face. In actuality he thought he had heard him wrong. After all, Natsume Hyuuga wasn't the type of guy who would hang out with girls.

Natsume's right eye twitched. "Forget that I asked!" he grumbled as he turned his back to the exasperating fool.

"Natsume, you're making me scared." Tsubasa whimpered as he prepared a ridiculous pose of mock horror. The red-eyed boy hurled a pillow in Tsubasa's direction which the latter dodged.

"Practice your aim, Hyuu—" he was cut off by another pillow that hit him square in his crotch.

"O-Ouch."

* * *

He carefully watched the envelope as if he expected it to move and attack him. Clearly he was being paranoid because the white piece of paper sat on his table and did nothing at all. The letter bore his and his sister's name on it. He had predicted a long time ago that they would be invited to dozens of parties, but he never expected that his sister's first forthcoming event was to be held at the Hyuuga Mansion.

He didn't want to attend the blasted occasion. If Mikan hadn't seen and been excited about it an hour ago, he would have hid the letter so that it would never see the next daylight. He wanted the others of their kind to only see Mikan when she was officially his. Apparently, there was going to be a change of plans.

He dialed the number that was written in the letter on his phone.

"Hello?" a voice came from the other line.

Kuonji sat up straight and placed his left leg over his right knee. "Kuonji and Mikan Sakura will be attending the party."

"All right," He could tell that the respondent was a middle-aged woman judging from the voice. "I'll gladly tell Miss Aoi that you will be attending. Thank you and goodbye."

After Kuonji hung up, he pressed another dial button and the line went straight to the maid quarters. "Hajime, ready the car. I want you to pick Narumi up from his boutique. He'll be making Mikan and me some new clothes."

"Yes, sir."

Then the line was terminated.

* * *

Sumire skimmed through the channels one by one. She couldn't afford wasting her time by watching Desperate Housewives in Star Movies, crappy action movies in HBO, or some other sappy chick flick in Star Movies. When she finally accepted that there was nothing good on, she decided to turn off the television and play Virtual Villagers in her 4s.

Her ears perked up when there was a soft yet surprising knock at the door. Her lips curved into a smile as she burst into fits of giggle. She knew Koko couldn't resist her.

"Come in!" she yelled.

The door opened slowly. Sumire dusted her blanket and anticipated a huge bouquet of flowers from Koko. Her hopes were crushed when she saw someone she had never met in her entire life standing there.

"Hi Sumire." the person greeted her with a smile that revealed a full set of pearly-white fangs.

* * *

Narumi Anjou had been the Sakuras' family tailor for centuries. He was ecstatic when Kuonji offered him the job opportunity of a lifetime. He never expected the day would come where he would design and create clothes for the prophesized twins. It was an honor for him to do that.

"My, my, my." Narumi uttered as he saw Mikan entering the room. "You look b-e-a-utiful!"

She smiled bashfully. It was the first time that Kuonji invited someone to their domain and introduced his sister in person. She almost forgave him for lying—_almost_.

"Mikan," Kuonji gestured the brunette to shake Narumi's hand to which she complied. "Meet Narumi Anjou. Father told me that he has been creating all the clothes in the Sakura lineage."

"Pleasure to meet you." Mikan said as she let go of the blonde's hand.

"I want you to design the most beautiful gown that you have ever created, for my sister," Kuonji ordered. "I want it special, unique and stunning."

Narumi chuckled. His tutu bounced as he kept swaying from his spot. "You really know what you want for your girl."

He in return glanced at Mikan and stared right into her creamy brown eyes. "I do."

Narumi took out his measuring tape from his man purse and took Mikan's body measurements. Kuonji studied them with a melting look on his face that made Mikan's legs turn weak.

Kuonji was trying to distract her with his seductive expression and it was working out perfectly. Mikan tried to avert her eyes from his face but the entire room was surrounded by mirrors so that wherever she looked, she would still see his head facing in her direction.

"That's about it." Narumi concluded as he put the measuring instrument away. "What color do you have in mind for the dress?"

"Sky blue would be nice." Mikan answered.

"No," Kuonji disagreed. "Scarlet is perfect."

Narumi smiled. "Scarlet it is then."

Once Mikan was sure that Narumi was gone, she faced her brother and glared harshly at him. "Why do you always have to decide for me? I'm not a kid anymore!"

"There's nothing wrong with you wearing scarlet," Kuonji said. He couldn't understand why the girl was being angry over such a petty reason. "I just want what's best for you."

"Then stop treating me like I'm a kid and start considering me as your equal." she said firmly. It was unfair how everyone followed Kuonji instead of her. She was sick of it. She was also part of the twin deal thingy. Just because she couldn't remember her memories, it didn't mean that she was inferior to him. She demanded respect and the only way she could acquire that was if she confronted her brother about it.

Kuonji wrapped his arms around the girl. "Come on, Mikan. Don't be so difficult."

She pushed him away before stomping out of the room. "I wish you could be honest with me." she whispered softly but Kuonji heard the whole statement.

"Mikan, what do you m—" He saw the girl had fainted. Before her head touched the ground, he rushed to her side and caught her. There really were times where he forgets that his sister has a frail body in her current life cycle. He kept on punishing himself for it. Even when they were young, he kept on blaming himself for Mikan's handicap.

Her words shoved fear into his head. Had she remembered? He hoped not. It was still too early for her. How could he face her once she knew? He still hadn't mustered enough courage to do so. He didn't mean to break the cycle himself. He needed to do it. He had to. But how could he reveal the truth to her when he was the one who had killed her in their previous lives?

* * *

"Sumire, hear me out please?" he pleaded from the other side.

Koko was struggling between carrying the mountain high pile of gifts and knocking on the door at the same time. He bought three pairs of shoes, one basket of Sumire's favorite flowers and a complete set of jewelry. He was excited on seeing how Sumire would react to his deed.

He had imagined that she would be thrilled and would kiss him endlessly because she received such lavish gifts. He wished that this would rekindle their bond and with any luck, bring their relationship to another level.

He knocked a couple of times more. Starting to get impatient; he turned the knob, feeling stupid for not doing that earlier.

When he stepped into the room, he went into a hazy stupor. The room was a complete mess and Sumire was nowhere to be found. The only thing that greeted him was an open window with a slight breeze slapping against his cheeks and blowing against the swaying curtains.

"Sumire?" he called out her name but there was no reply.

A heavy feeling lingered in his chest and he felt that his stomach was doing somersaults. It wasn't the most welcoming scene, making Koko feel that something was definitely wrong.


	7. The Night Out

**Struck**

**Summary:** In Alice High, a group of elite teenagers are hiding a terrible secret. When you put Mikan Sakura into the equation, there's bound to be trouble, especially when their leader takes an interest on her.

**Note:** Originally Oops, I Think I'm In Love.

**Betaread by:** SilencedByMidnight

Maybe it was just the bathroom light playing tricks on her eyes. It was unbelievable. She found it doubtful that it was herself that was staring right back at her. She touched the glossy mirror, her hand over its reflection, and continued to admire her features. Her backless, long, red dress shimmered whenever she moved. When Narumi first presented the dress, the brunette thought it was too revealing and unflattering on her. It turned out to be the complete opposite. She looked beautiful and elegant. For the first time in her life, she felt like one of those princesses in her storybooks—only that she was fierce and sexy.

From the mirror, Mikan saw Kuonji leaning against the doorframe, watching her with an unrecognizable expression. She felt embarrassed that she hadn't notice him before from her spot. She took a few seconds to study his attire for the night. Narumi had outdone himself. He had made Kuonji a black suit with a matching red tie that would complement well when next to his sister. He gave the impression that he was a prince—her own black prince. She still hadn't confronted him yet about her death as Sophie Puzo. Whenever she tried to imagine the scene in her head, it always ended up as a disaster.

Kuonji strode toward the girl. He was cursing himself mentally. It was a stupid move for him to introduce the girl before every one of their kind. She was his personal treasure and he didn't want to share her with anybody else.

"You look beautiful." he said as he slithered his hands around her waist. He suppressed the urge _not_ to bite her neck with his fangs. The bite mark would give a bad impression on the girl, but it would provide enough proof that she already belonged to someone else—that she belonged to him alone.

Her lips curved into a sheepish grin. "Thank you," she said as she twisted to face him. "You, on the other hand, look dashing." She yanked his tie, pulling him closer, and planted a kiss on his lips.

He placed a kiss upon her hand and pulled her out of the room in a swift yet smooth glide. "Come now, we must leave."

* * *

The ballroom was decorated fit for the lone daughter of the prestigious Hyuuga family. The chandelier illuminated the entire room despite the fact that the wall lamps were had already been turned on. The designs were composed of blue, gold and silver—the three main colors of the Hyuuga crest. The party was exclusive for their kind alone. To keep the humans unaware of Aoi's secret, a separate party was to be held for them.

The birthday girl roamed around the room, greeting everyone she passed. She was eye-catching and lovely in her red velvet ball gown. Her hair was in a braided bun with diamond flower pins sticking on to it. Ever since the party started, she never stopped walking as if she was trying to find someone in the area. Aoi Hyuuga wasn't the only one acting suspicious.

Natsume Hyuuga's suspicious actions weren't gone unnoticed in the party. The other vampires weren't sure whether the lad was stalking somebody or just avoiding everyone who tried to greet him. For the past two hours, he had been wandering around the room, checking on every brunette guest in the area.

He was certain that _they_ would come. After all, he asked the head maid to alert him if the Sakuras accepted the invitation. If she turned out to be lying, the cow would receive a free premium wring on the neck from him. When he finally realized that the Sakuras still hadn't arrived, he decided to save himself from the trouble of pacing around the room like a silly chimpanzee, and went to Hotaru Imai's side whom he had found hanging around the buffet table.

Hotaru wasn't pleased when she saw Natsume nearing her. The boy would always say the most inappropriate things in the most perfect moments of her life. Her yellow chiffon dress fluttered as she grabbed another twig of crabstick.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself with the food." Natsume eyed the platter that Hotaru was holding onto. All sort of delicacies were found on the plate and Natsume wouldn't be surprised if the girl got a stomachache later on.

The infamous Ice Queen shot a spiteful glare and put the plate away. "Prying as always…"

The raven-haired boy cleared his throat and settled to another topic that had been bugging him for days. "Any word from Koko?"

Hotaru shook her head. It had been two days since Koko had last contacted them. He had been searching for any leads that could point to where Sumire had disappeared to. They all thought that the girl was trying to scare them, but apparently they were wrong. The Shoudas seemed to be calm about the matter though, as if their daughter hadn't gone missing ever since.

"Have the Shoudas said anything though?" asked Natsume.

Once again Hotaru shook her head. It was indeed strange that the Shoudas were keeping quiet about this matter. When Sumire was separated from them by Izumi, they were making a big fuss. Now, they were silent as a grave. If only Sumire was born sixty years earlier, her absence would cost a lot of controversy since the Shoudas were at their prime on those years.

His line of thoughts was cut off by the incredible silence that had transpired, every head was now turned in the direction of the Hyuuga's majestic staircase. At the end of the stairs were two figures he had been waiting for the entire night. He felt his heart fall when he watched her link her arms with the boy beside her.

* * *

The sight before their eyes was too overwhelming. It gave them a burst of unexplainable energy and that was when they knew that the two teens before them would lead them to glory. The boy before them gave off once again a different sort of aura once again - the kind of aura where if he ordered one to jump a bridge, one would do it with no hesitation and would jump again and again. On the contrary, the girl beside him was very different. The only thing special about her was her heavenly beauty and nothing more. She didn't emit any sort of impression that would make you follow her bidding. In fact, you would even hesitate to obey her.

_One, two, one, two_, she counted her breathes in perfect unison. Even before she had stepped into the estate, she told herself that everything would go according to her plan. She played the scenes in her head. She would gracefully come down the stairs alongside her brother, would greet the guests and then she would enjoy the party. She believed everything would be on the right track, until she had stepped inside the mansion.

Every head poking out in the crowd was looking straight at them. She wouldn't have moved if Kuonji hadn't pulled her from her stiff position. Every step she took made dread creep to up her veins. She swore that as soon as she properly introduced herself, she and Kuonji would immediately leave.

She slipped her arm into his and together they walked towards a group of elderly vampires. It was nerve-racking that everyone wanted to shake their hands with her. Standard conduct was to be observed. Just keep on the smiling frontier, nod at everything they say, and keep speaking to a minimum. Perhaps if her knees weren't shaking this badly, then everything would be fine.

In the crowd of a few hundred, it was remarkable yet strange how she had spotted him. The color of his eyes was brought out by his white tuxedo. His then-messy black hair was now pressed into a clean cut. She tried to aim a smile at him, glad that there was a familiar face in the crowd, but he must have missed it since he left without turning to glance at her and went straight outside the spacious room.

"Goodness gracious," one woman cried as she studied Mikan. "You're quite thin. Have you been drinking enough blood?"

The brunette smacked her lips. Kuonji warned her that the guests would definitely try to get something _juicy _out of her lips. He made her promise not to talk much about herself and their private lives. She smiled before she gave a proper reply, "I'm afraid not."

Then she moved to another vampire and before she knew it she was talking comfortably even without her brother at her range of vision.

"Have you decided a date for your _bonding_ with Kuonji?" one man asked.

Mikan stopped in her tracks. Bonding only meant one thing—that she would pledge that she would be Kuonji's other half and him as hers. In the human language, it meant marriage, but to the vampire world it was something more. When one would bond, the relationship would last for eternity—that they were willing to spend the end of their days with one another. They weren't just husband and wife. They would also be hunters, ready to give their prey for their bond mate's sustenance. They were soldiers, prepared to fight, protect and die for their bond mate. They were twins and that meant that the blood that ran in their veins was one.

Most of her conversations with Kuonji were about bonding. She practically grew up with bonding in mind. After all, unlike all the other vampires out there, she already knew who would be her bond mate.

"We haven't," she replied. "But as soon as we have agreed upon a date, we'll announce it."

* * *

The guests were crowding around him too much. If it wasn't for his chilling scowl that made them back away, he would have been crushed to death. He regretted losing his sister amongst their advances. He tried to search for her, but it was no use. There wasn't any girl in red that he could spot…

…but then he saw a billowing, red dress that went out of the room and turned to a corner just ahead of him. He followed it like a lost puppy, hoping he could get some time alone with Mikan. When he reached the marbled archway, only disappointment greeted him. The girl standing before him wasn't his sister, but was another's.

Aoi dusted her gown before she curtsied to Kuonji. She hadn't expected that she would finally be able to meet him. Just when she decided that she would take a short rest from her search, he finally came in the flesh. She didn't mind the disappointing expression on his face when his pitch black eyes met hers as long, as she would get him to herself. This was her chance to make him hers.

"Your Grace," she called him in the sweetest tone she could muster. She read somewhere that men enjoyed being revered and she decided to try it on Kuonji. "Quite a beautiful night, isn't it?"

The boy grunted in response. He didn't even bother to hide his obvious disinterest with her boring talk. He heard the same thing throughout the night and didn't want to hear it once again.

"I shall take my leave." He notified her, but soon halted when she made a dash and stepped in front of him, blocking him from the exit. He eyed the callous woman. Hadn't she notice how boring he found her to be?

"It's my birthday," Kuonji hoped this wouldn't be too long. He couldn't bear if this woman dragged him to boredom. "I hope you could make it a special one." He cocked a brow, unsure whether his ears had been playing tricks on him or not. Her words stunned him.

He burst out laughing. "Have you lost your marbles?" He shook his head and brushed past her. "I need to find my sister and you're eating up my time."

"That sister?" she pointed out to the gardens where two figures were standing very close to one another. The sight made Kuonji's forehead crinkle, his fist curl into a ball and his lips press into a thin line. Mikan Sakura was with no one other than Natsume Hyuuga. The worse thing was that he was holding her close and she was letting him do so.

* * *

"Do you prefer milk or tea?" another vampire asked. It was infuriating that all they asked were a bunch of get-to-know-you questions. For the past minutes, she had been very polite to every guest, but this time she knew she had to back down and take a short rest. She felt a bit dizzy and wobbly. She felt light on her toes and was afraid if she were to have a black out.

"Excuse me," she muttered as she headed outside for fresh air. It was quite remarkable how she lasted this long without resting. She leaned against the railing of the veranda for support. Her eyes gazed upon the massive, beautiful garden of the Hyuugas. In the far end of the place was a huge hedge maze. In the middle of the garden was a huge pond with an engraved Hyuuga crest on a boulder as the centerpiece.

Mikan went for a stroll and made her way to the shimmering pond. It was a picture-perfect night. The night breeze wasn't too cold or too warm, the temperature was perfect. The moon was in its full bloom and its magnificent shape was reflected in the water. She sighed in appreciation.

"Who goes there?" a voice called out from the dark.

Out from the shadows, a young boy emerged. A huge shadow casted upon his face for the moon was behind him. Mikan didn't have to guess who he was. His pair of ruby red eyes and his physique that she had constantly dreamt about completely gave his identity away. It was Natsume Hyuuga standing before her.

He felt his throat run dry the moment he saw her. She looked absolutely stunning under the moonlight. He saw her eyes widening and he hoped it wasn't because she caught him blushing over the sight of her.

"You're here." his voice rumbled, low and smooth.

There were no other words that processed in her mind but, "I'm here."

"So," he scratched the back of his neck, trying to find the appropriate words to use at the situation. "What made you come here? Me?"

"Stop being silly." she uttered. "You know, you still haven't properly introduced yourself to me."

He averted his eyes from hers. This was the perfect chance for him to make everything right. And he wasn't going to let it pass now.

"Natsume Hyuuga." He said as he stuck out his hand for her to shake.

The moment her fingers grazed against his skin, she felt a tremor inside of her. It was surreal and uncalled for. Her hand fitted well in his. "Mikan Sakura." He shot a familiar look that _almost_ made her grin. As soon as she gave it a shake, she instantly let it go and tucked her hands behind.

"What is the belle of the ball doing out here?" he asked.

"Belle of the ball?" Mikan repeated in incredulity. Her lips twitched up. "Your usage of terms is so… _humorous_."

"Glad to know I made you smile or at least what you're doing." he mused.

"You're awfully kind," Mikan noted, wary of Natsume's unexpected transformation of personality. "The last time we met, you had this awful scowl," she imitated the look. "On your face whenever our eyes meet."

"Some men have a change of heart." He told her.

"Most of those men have a hidden motive," she said. "What makes you any different from them?"

"Well," he shrugged his shoulders and flashed a smirk. "I'm Natsume Hyuuga and that makes me different."

Mikan rolled her eyes. The boy was ridiculous and he wasn't talking any sense at all. Ever since this party started, Mikan realized something important: that conversing was such a lot of labor. Before this event, there were only less than five vampires whom she had spoken to. Now, she had already spoken to almost a hundred and the boy before her wasn't making it easier.

Her startling cough broke the silence that followed right after their conversation. She bent low and kept on coughing. Her auburn brown bangs covered most of her face, making Natsume unable to see how sickly she looked at the moment. She found it irritating that she had to show this side of her to someone like_ him_!

"Hey." He called as he placed a hand on her back. "Are you all right?"

"Yes." She turned up to him with a small smile etched on her face, hoping she hadn't made him concerned over something as trivial as her sickness and assuring him that she was still fine. He wasn't convinced though. She was easy to read and he knew that the girl had a weak body.

She knew all along that she was pretty naïve, but she wasn't stupid. She could read the expression he was making right now. She knew that he knew her body wasn't strong like her brother's. She was, after all, the weaker twin.

It was awkward to see him concerned over her. She thought that he wasn't the type who would worry about other people. Apparently, he proved her wrong. Music from the mansion blasted through the wind and found its way to them.

_Hey baby, what's that sound?  
I make a few steps and I fall on the ground  
It's a long shot but darling I couldn't love you more.  
Come on, come on_

"I need to… _uh_…" her words were cut off when she lost her balance. She expected her body to land in the pond. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the chilly water that was to follow, but the only sensation she felt was an electrifying touch on her back. She opened her eyes and saw Natsume holding her close.

_Hey baby, give it a try  
I can find an answer if you wanna know why  
I know I'm a nerd but give another play to this song  
Come on, come on_

If they were a bit closer, it would have been an embrace. She wondered how it felt to be near him without any space between their bodies. He held her still and Mikan would have believed that time stopped if it weren't for the music.

_How does it sound if we spend the night out?  
How does it sound if we spend the night out?_

Their eyes were locked in a passionate gaze. His luscious red eyes commanded her to succumb. And God forbid it was clearly working. The entire scenario was dreamy mainly because she was next to an attractive guy like him. As much as she hated it, she admitted to herself that Natsume Hyuuga had good looks.

"This seems to be familiar." she blurted.

"What is?" Natsume asked.

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

The raven haired boy was holding his patience. Damn, she just looked too goddamn beautiful at the moment. He studied her features slowly, careful not to miss anything. She had long eyelashes, eyes as brown as honey, two freckles below her left ear, and her lips were parted unknowingly. He was trying to conquer the urge to plant his lips on them.

_Hey baby, what's that sound?_

_How does it sound if we spend the night out?  
How does it sound if we spend the night out?_

_Wrong!_, the word echoed in her head. _Everything's wrong._ She felt guilt devouring her entity. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Mikan knew that this was wrong. She shouldn't be in another man's arms. It was immoral, especially when she already had Kuonji.

She pushed Natsume away and averted her eyes from his. She felt tainted by his touch. It was unfair to Kuonji when he had always been loyal to her.

_Hey baby, what's that sound  
I make a few steps and I fall on the ground  
It's a long shot but darling I couldn't love you more.  
Come on, come on_

"Mikan." he called her name. It was new to his tongue, but it sounded pleasant to his ears. Her ears perked and he knew he got her attention. "What's wrong?"

"Everything." she breathed. She massaged her temples in hopes that it would clear her head but it was no use. Her mind played one image and screamed one word. Natsume.

He watched her troubled figure in complete silence. He didn't want to trouble himself or her anymore. He _just_ needed to do one thing to confirm what he felt for the brunette. If it turned out to be nothing, then he would move on and forget that he had met her. If it wasn't, then… well, he prayed for the former to happen.

_Hey baby, give it a try  
I can find an answer if you wanna know why  
I know I'm a nerd but give another play to this song  
Come on, come on_

He lurched toward her in a quick movement, pulled her close until she was only a few inches away, and he leaned toward her until there wasn't any gap left. His hand was on her nape to set support, not that he needed any but the girl did. Their lips were locked in a furious, passionate kiss.

Natsume was a straightforward person most of the time. He ousted his shyness ages ago. When something was bothering him, the sole solution that he believed on was to confront the problem. This time, his emotions were troubling him and to solve everything he needed to identify what he felt for the girl.

_How does it sound if we spend the night out?  
How does it sound if we spend the night out?_

"Get away from her, you fucker!" Kuonji snarled in rage. His fangs emerged; it was different from the usual. It looked sharper and bigger unlike the ordinary fangs that the other vampires owned. His hand twisted incongruously and his nails suddenly turned pointy.

Kuonji leaped toward Natsume in a flash, his fangs and hands ready to scar him. The latter swiftly dodged the attack and readied his self for another attack. He wouldn't be lucky the next time Kuonji lauched another move. He needed to think straight and plan ahead.

_Hey baby, what's that sound?_

"Kuonji!" Mikan screamed, but her shrilling voice didn't get through to him. Her brother was already in an unstoppable stage of uncontainable fury. The only person who could stop Kuonji Sakura was his own sister. But Mikan doubted if she had the strength to do it. The brunette swallowed her fears and dashed to her brother's side.

* * *

Hello, readers! It's been a while since I've last updated, you finally have reached the end of chapter seven, and I really want to know what you think. So before you hit the fav button or exit your browser, do leave a review. I want to know your opinion whether it's positive or negative or a bit of both. Throw a couple of suggestions, if you want to. See you next time on chapter eight!

- E


	8. The Stronger Twin

**Struck**

**Summary:** In Alice High, a group of elite teenagers are hiding a terrible secret. When you put Mikan Sakura into the equation, there's bound to be trouble, especially when their leader takes an interest on her.

**Note:** Originally Oops, I Think I'm In Love.

**Betaread by:** SilencedByMidnight

Ever since the Hyuugas had settled in Tokyo, their Main House had always been famous for its beautiful and magnificent garden. Kaoru Hyuuga was never interested in plants, but her husband was. Since then, the woman had made it certain that the garden was to be maintained in proper condition.

At present, the famous exquisite garden was now in ruins over the short span of a few minutes. The cultivated flowerbeds were now lying tattered on the ground, the shrubs were dismantled, some of the trees were deracinated, and the grassy ground was hollowed inside out.

The battle between the two siblings was intense. The next thing Natsume knew, he was lying low, his elbow propped up against the ground. Kuonji had badly maimed his left leg. He didn't worry much about it though. Vampires had amazing recovery abilities. He estimated that his leg would heal in a week's time. The only thing he was worrying about now was Mikan Sakura. If the girl hadn't shoved him earlier, Kuonji's attack wouldn't have just cost his leg, but his life.

The raven haired boy was amazed at how skilled the girl was. She had easily dodged Kuonji's quick blows without landing a single injury on her body. He hadn't expected her to be _this_ good, but Kuonji was far better than her. The brunette had a weak body and Natsume knew that she wasn't bound to last long.

Mikan was fighting Kuonji head on. Her brother wasn't thinking straight, making it easier for her to read his movements. It was odd that she hadn't fought like this before. Her mind may have forgotten about her memories, but clearly her body hadn't. She didn't have huge, pointy fangs like Kuonji's or his massive strength, but she had a light frame. Her speed was [to] her advantage and she was using it.

Her clash with Kuonji caused a loud commotion to the guests. There had been quite a huge crowd that gathered around them. None were brave enough to intervene the brawl between the two siblings. After all, no one wanted to have their bones broken and their established connection with the twins damaged.

"Ruka!" called Natsume. In an instant, the blonde boy appeared out of nowhere. He bent down low and struggled to carry his friend away from the fight.

"Damn," Ruka cursed. "You better start losing a few pounds, Natsume. You're mighty heavy."

Natsume pushed Ruka's shoulders, wriggling out of his grasp. "You blind oaf," the boy cried. "Help Sakura. I can handle myself."

Ruka's head turned to the fight and winced when he saw Kuonji missed his attack on his opponent. His punch landed straight on the ground and it rumbled for a few seconds. It would be like committing suicide if he joined the battle. The blonde adored combats, but he preferred winning more. He knew that he had no chance in this fight, especially when he was up against either of the two. "I'm not looking for a death wish, Nat." he said.

"You're not going to die," Natsume insisted, and then he added as an afterthought. "As long as you do what I'm telling you to."

Ruka pursed his lips. If he intruded in the battle, it was either [that] he would be killed or by some miracle, _survive_. If he disobeyed Natsume, _well…_ Natsume had a lot of free time to torture him.

"Which Sakura should I help?" he sighed in defeat.

"The female one." replied Natsume.

Ruka shot his friend a critical eye. The pieces were starting to fit together and the missing puzzle piece was Mikan Sakura. At first, Ruka hadn't thought clearly on what possessed Natsume to ask him to help Sakura. He finally understood now. His friend was obviously smitten!

"Ruka, I may not have Koko's mindreading ability, but I can easily read your expression right now and I do not like it at all." Natsume grumbled. "Now get your ass out there!"

* * *

Kuonji pounced at her once again. This time she wasn't so lucky. His sharp nails scraped her arm into three straight marks. She wouldn't worry about it though if it weren't for the fact that Kuonji's nails made recovery abilities three times slower. She touched the injury, careful not to dig her fingers deeper, and stopped when she felt its stinging sensation. The feeling was new to her. She never received any physical pain before, Kuonji made certain of that. The irony was it was him who inflicted her very first.

Her reverie ended when she realized that Kuonji was charging once again. His pitch black eyes were bland as their eyes met. He'd always have a sort of twinkle in his irises whenever he spoke or saw his sister; but this time it was different.

She couldn't think of a way on how to stop his rampage. He was out of control and she was almost out of stamina. If only Izumi had taught her on how to develop and polish her abilities, then she wouldn't be so stumped in this situation.

It would only be a matter of a few seconds before Kuonji entered her range once again. She had to attack at some point. She couldn't just keep on evading him.

"Need help?" a voice asked. Mikan turned and found a blonde boy standing right beside her. He looked strangely familiar but she couldn't pinpoint on how she had managed to meet a boy such as himself.

He waved a hand at her direction, breaking her from her trance. "Look, Natsume sent me to help you," he explained. His words sent Mikan's memories alight and she finally knew where they had met. He was one of the people whom her father had sent when she had gone missing. "The name's Ruka, by the way."

"Ruka—" she felt a strong gush of wind passing by and her eyes flickered to the blonde's side and found Kuonji ready to leap at him. "—watch out!"

Ruka flashed a smirk and suddenly vanished from his spot. In a quick and smooth movement, he was next to Kuonji, landing a kick on his ribs. The latter was knocked to the ground and was jerking unstably.

"Jesus!" Mikan cried in horror. "Don't kill my brother! Just immobilize him or something!"

Ruka cocked a brow. His long, slender fingers scratched his head and his eyes bounced back and forth from Mikan to her brother. "He's not dead," he clarified. "He's just lying on the ground like a good dog he is."

As soon as the word dog came out of Ruka's lips, just like a robot in auto mode, Kuonji jumped from behind and knocked Ruka from off his feet. It looks like he didn't ravish the idea of being labeled as a dog. Ruka's body glided in one swift move and hit a tree trunk. "Fuck." he swore.

The boy hit the trunk badly. Blood poured from one side of his face, his clothing was shredded, and small cuts were all over his body but yet there was still a small smirk plastered on his face as if he was unfazed by everything that happened to him.

He wiped the blood from his face. "Bastard," he spat. "You just broke thousands of girls' hearts by scarring my face." He propelled his body against his opponent and punched his face. He jabbed his stomach and Kuonji was thrust into the air.

He turned his back and faced the brunette and flashed a triumphant smile at her direction. His glorious moment ended in flash when Kuonji knocked him off his feet and his body rested still on the ground.

"Ru—" Natsume's scream died in his throat when the stinging sensation of pain from his leg throbbed after he tried to move. He felt useless and weak. Ruka may not be a human, but he certainly wasn't invincible. If the boy died, he didn't know how he would be able to face it. Ruka Nogi wasn't just his lackey, he was his friend.

Mikan attempted to go to the blonde boy's side, but Kuonji's rampage prevented her. He was a loose screw and loose screws needed to be fixed. Her thoughts were cut off when she saw Kuonji making his way to the guests.

"Watch out—!" she screamed, but she was too late. Kuonji attacked the guests. Some tried to resist, but it was all for nothing. They either had broken bones or had lost a lot of blood. Most of them tried to battle the boy in groups. It slowed Kuonji down, but it certainly didn't stop him.

"Kuonji," she wailed. She didn't mean for this to happen. She didn't want Kuonji to behave like this. She blamed herself. How stupid she was to let this happen. Her selfishness caused Natsume's injury, Ruka's life, and this disastrous night. She should have pushed Natsume away. She had the definite chance to do so. She cursed herself; why did she enjoy being in his arms?

She closed her eyes tight; hoping that this was all a dream, hoping that this was just a nightmare and the moment she open her eyes, she would be in her bed beside her brother.

When she opened her eyes, the scene before her was different…

_The room was heavily dark. In fact it wasn't a room at all, but a dungeon. There were no windows, but only a single door with bars across her. Both of her feet and her hands were chained to the wall. She tried to remove the shackles, but it wouldn't budge at all. She winced when the smell wafted to her nose. The chamber was reeking of pee and spoiled morsels of food._

_There was no definite proof on how long she stayed locked up, but she believed it had to be lengthy. After all, her body was covered with grime, her blond hair was sticky and unkempt and she smelled like she hadn't taken a bath since forever._

_A shadow billowed behind the sheer entrance. A middle-aged woman materialized in front of her. She was wearing a grimace and in her hands was a tray of food. She fumbled for the key in her pocket while balancing the tray with one hand. As soon as she found the right key, she inserted it in the keyhole and gave it a turn. She entered the room and placed the tray before the chained girl._

_"Lizzie," she hissed. "You really are revolting to look at."_

_"Emma," the girl called, a wide smile appeared on her face. "Have you come to torment me to no end?"_

_The woman grabbed her handkerchief from her pocket and covered her nose with it. "You're a monster—a disgusting one at that. You taint the British Conclave with your existence. Truthfully, you're just a _mistake_ of another."_

_The girl cackled a forced laugh. "A mistake, aye? To put it in the right words, it's actually _your_ mistake." The woman eyed her with awful disgust and hatred, her hands tightened in fury. "How's John by the way? Still believing the façade you're showing?"_

_The woman leaned forward and cupped the girl's filthy chin. "It won't be long now," she said. "The boy still believes you're still away in a holiday trip. Just a little more time and I'll have him soon."_

_Lizzie raised her head and spitted at Emma's face. "You're bonkers! Why not take me while I'm still chained?! Why prolong the agony?!"_

_She slapped the girl's cheeks. "Oh, Elizabeth," Emma cooed. "You're still naïve like the _first_ you, nothing practically changed. You're still the dunderhead I know. My revenge will be sweet when John finally realizes who I really am. How dare the fool have forgotten about me! I'll show him what a mistake he made. I'll strike him first then you'll come afterwards." She flashed a sadistic grin. "You'll just have to rot in this place." A chilling laugh came from her lips as she left Lizzie alone._

_As soon as she was sure that Emma was gone, Lizzie knelt completely still. She finally had a gist of what the witch wanted to do. That was what she was waiting for all along. The hag had slipped and it was finally Lizzie's turn to make her move. For the past weeks (or perhaps months), she had been saving what little of her strength was left for this perfect opportunity._

_She tightly closed her eyes and gathered her energy. She felt her saved strength crawling back to the tips of her fingers. It felt good that she was able to use it again. She just needed to aim her power at her shackles and the wall behind her, and soon she should be free._

_After she broke free from her shackles, she rubbed the sore, red marks that covered both her wrists and ankles. She focused her energy once again and directed it toward the wall. A shot of a sizzling transparent current spurted out of nowhere and blasted the bricked wall apart._

_With the bright sunlight greeting her face, she ran like there was no tomorrow…_

Mikan panted madly. It was another one of her lost memories, but this time it was different. Unlike Sophie Puzo, Mikan felt that Lizzie was gutsier. The British girl was a fighter and refused to step down until she had a plan. Mikan couldn't help but feel a bit of envy on Lizzie, even though the girl was another one of her previous selves.

She closed her eyes and repeated the newly discovered sensation that tickled her in her trance.

* * *

Natsume crawled to his friend's still body. Even though the pain prickled him to no end, he still kept on going. Despite the fact that the pointy, mucky grass was baptizing his face, he never stopped approaching the blonde.

Only when he was a few inches away from the boy's body, a shot of relief swarmed his insides, glad that he still saw his friend's soft breathing. His attention was immediately stolen by the brunette when he saw her standing motionless with her one arm reaching out in the air. If it wasn't for the deep shit he was in, he would have believed that the girl had gone crazy and everything was turning out to be hilarious. Or maybe he was turning mad now.

He felt a yelp coming when he saw sparks crackling close the girl. His eyes slowly rolled to the brunette, thinking that perhaps it was her doing. Or maybe it was the first symptom that he was turning crazy: that he was seeing things.

There was a loud scream coming from the crowd of vampires. Kuonji slammed one of them at the balcony and even from afar Natsume could hear the anguished cry of help. He saw his sister and mother helping some of the vampires escape, but dread seized him when he saw Hotaru Imai in her yellow glory of a chiffon dress, aiming an arm-sized gun at the rampaging boy.

She pressed the trigger and the bullet successfully hit Kuonji's right arm. The boy screeched in a deafening tone that made Natsume shudder. Kuonji released the lifeless body in his grasp and headed toward the black haired girl.

"_Come now, come to momma, ugly._" uttered Hotaru while shooting a smirk in his direction. "_Just a few more steps and you're in my kill zone._"

Kuonji jumped in the air and when Hotaru was ready to shoot him dead, Mikan came in between and fired a bullet of her own. Wispy, transparent orbs hit Kuonji's front. The boy came flying backwards and his body smashed the veranda's exquisite statue into pieces.

Every vampire in sight paused and glanced at the fight. They all looked at Mikan with an expectant twinkle in their eyes, and they all basked in her glory. The girl was oozing with incredible strength which was in a different league from her brother's.

They were all wrong about one thing. Mikan Sakura wasn't the weaker twin. In fact, she was the stronger one.

Natsume quivered when he saw Mikan's brown eyes were replaced with lifeless pitch black ones. She moved faster than before, and perhaps a bit faster than Kuonji could ever. She rushed to Kuonji's side and just when her brother was about to get up, the brunette slashed his skin with her fingers and just like that he fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Silence followed afterwards. Most of the vampires were anticipating another brawl, but Kuonji wasn't moving from his spot. They expected him to attack again, but he proved them wrong by staying unconscious and lying very still.

The eerie silence was broken by the crowd's loud cheers. Everyone was rejoicing and they all chanted Mikan's name. Every single uninjured one of them rushed to her side and attempted to touch her for luck.

Mikan seemed oblivious to what was happening around her. She just held on to her ground and responded to nothing. Her eyesight started to dim and the last she saw surprised her: Izumi calling her name, "Mikan…"


	9. Turning Point

**Struck**

**Summary:** In Alice High, a group of elite teenagers are hiding a terrible secret. When you put Mikan Sakura into the equation, there's bound to be trouble, especially when their leader takes an interest on her.

**Note:** Originally Oops, I Think I'm In Love.

**Betaread by:** SilencedByMidnight

It had almost been a week since Aoi's party. The Hyuugas had managed to let the reporters believe that the damages were made by some lunatic stalker Aoi had, Natsume's leg healed just Wednesday, Ruka Nogi had been released from hospital confinement, and everything was back to normal.

…except in the Sakura household.

Ever since the party ended, Kuonji had been avoiding his sister like she was the plague. He even went to extreme lengths of asking Izumi to transfer his room to another wing of the mansion. Izumi believed that what his son was asking of him was preposterous so he lightly dismissed the suggestion. As for Mikan, she had been contemplating with the new changes in her life. When Izumi had been alerted of that disastrous night by his lackeys, he set out to train the brunette himself.

"Harness the power," he ordered. "Feel its energy and control it."

Mikan concentrated in directing the force in one location and she felt it prickling her fingertips. It was hard to describe the sensation she had felt. It was a sort of mixture between electricity and the softness of a cotton ball. When she heard the soft crackle echoing, she knew she had accomplished what Izumi had told her to do.

"You're excellent, my daughter." Izumi praised; his voice smooth and purring. "You just need to exert more effort in order to make the attack deadlier."

"Father," Mikan called. "I think we shouldn't just concentrate on attacking, we should consider improving my defense skills."

Izumi decided to ignore her and went on. "Have you and Kuonji have spoken already? The boy's giving me a terrible headache," he complained, his eyes locked with his daughter's. "Settle your arguments already. Both of you are fighting even though you're not bonded yet, what more when you become bond mates?"

Mikan's lips tightened as Izumi continued to talk more. "The Conclave's interested to know the date of your bonding. I've been relentlessly telling them to wait, but it seems they are anxious."

"I-I don't think I'm ready yet, Father." Mikan replied. "The bonding… it's too soon, I believe."

"Balderdash," Izumi dismissed his daughter's opinion. He deemed that the bonding had been delayed for far too long already. As the head of the Conclave, he had to see to it that the twins' bonding would push through. "If my children cannot decide for themselves, I'll take the matter myself."

Izumi noticed Mikan's brown eyes widening. He found it strange that the girl was being difficult. After all, she was the type who would surrender quickly to his whims. His brow arched and he leaned closer to the girl. "Is there any particular reason why you're being stubborn about your bonding?"

Mikan shifted around. She had known that Izumi could easily read lies and as of this moment, she knew there was no point in trying to deny it. "Have you ever felt a large hole in your chest?" she asked. "There's something missing in my life and I can't pinpoint on what it is. I need time—lots of it."

"Time?" Izumi repeated in incredulity. "Time for what?"

"Time to think about my life!" Mikan shouted, making her father take a step back. For many years, she had been hiding the frustration that had been building inside of her. All her life, everything was decided for her. All her life, she believed that she was just a spare. All her life, she was treated as nothing since Kuonji had always been there. He had always been the special one, the better one, and the stronger twin. Now, she had turned the tables on them.

"There's nothing to think about, Mikan." Izumi said.

_'He's wrong_', the girl thought. Actually, there was a lot to think about. Kuonji, her future, their future, her sudden flashbacks, her powers, and… _Natsume_. She felt a lump stuck in her throat. How could she suddenly think of him? Her thoughts directed her to that fateful night: him and her locked in a gaze beneath the moonlight, his arms wrapped around her cold skin, and his lips on hers. She shook the thought off. She had more important matters to think about; Natsume Hyuuga was just a nuisance.

"Actually," her voice came out in a soft whisper. "There is." Then she stormed out of the room leaving her father in a baffled state.

* * *

Kuonji sat on the chair in dead silence. His eyes followed the swaying trees just right outside of his window. For six days, he had been avoiding Mikan. He believed that he had no right to see her again. He had hurt her and the guilt was eating him. He had punished himself by not drinking any blood and not going out of his room.

The memories were very blurry though. Flashes of him rampaging in the party were what he remembered. The only thing vivid was the memory of him seeing his sister and Natsume sharing an embrace. He regretted _not_killing the bastard in his rage—that could have diminished his anger and remorse.

The door creaked opened and behind the door was his sister. Her eyelashes fluttered as she called his name, "Kuonji?"

There was nothing to say so he did not bother responding.

She walked over to where he was and clasped his hand. "Kuonji?"

"Please leave, Mikan." he pleaded in a soft voice he could muster. "I-I don't know what I'll do if you're near me. Just go."

"Brother," she whimpered. "I want to talk to you."

Kuonji glanced at her and caressed her cheek. His action gave Mikan the slightest hope that her brother was returning back to his old self. "Mikan, why do you torment me so?"

She clutched to his hand and brushed Kuonji's hair strands away from his eyes. She halted when he slapped her hand and rose from his seat abruptly. "Leave me!" he screamed. "Leave!"

The girl held on to her ground and did not budge. "Kuonji, I know what's wrong," she blurted. "I know that you find it hard to forgive yourself, but you must. You can't be like this any longer."

Mikan saw her brother hissed. In a spurt, he grabbed Mikan's arm and dragged her to his bed. He caged her with his arms and stared right into her eyes.

"Kuonji?" she uttered his name. The brunette was in a rather stiff position where she didn't know if she should escape or try to talk sense into him. She tried to avert her eyes from his, but he cupped her chin and jerked it at his direction.

He sank his fangs on her neck and she moaned in pain. The feeling was new to her. Kuonji had always been gentle with her and for the first time in her life his bite pained her. She writhed at his touch and she struggled to escape, but his hold on her was absolutely firm. The boy crushed his palms against her waist and sank his fangs deeper.

"S-Stop!" she groaned. "I-It hurts!" With the use of her sharp fingernails, she scratched his face down to his neck. It was only a few seconds after that when Kuonji had finally stopped. Spurts of Mikan's blood were all over the sheets and beneath him was his sister whimpering.

When he saw Mikan's pouring tears, he finally realized the gravity of his action. He was a monster, he silently thought.

"—Mikan." He called her name. She froze when his fingers brushed her cheeks. "I'm sorry. I… I just can't control myself when it comes to you."

"Brother, do you hate me?" she spoke.

"No, I don't," he replied. "I never will. Don't think that way, Mikan, please don't."

Honestly, she felt numb. It took her the last amount of the strength she had left to rise from the bed. When she was about to leave, she threw one last look at her brother. There was a new emotion swirling inside of her and it wasn't new. It was betrayal. She felt betrayed by the one person that she had thought would never betray her.

"Brother, I do not like lies." she said. "You're lying right now and you were lying then. You told me that I died of a disease, but it was you that killed me. I don't think I can trust you any longer."

Just like that she left Kuonji's room. The boy trembled in fear of what had just happened. He needed to explain, but would she even listen? He just couldn't let her go like that. He just couldn't let her get out of his life.

"Mikan!" he called as he chased after her.

* * *

"Where have you been?" asked Natsume sternly. His piercing glare could have made anyone tremble, but Sumire held her ground. The green-haired girl crossed her legs as she took a sip from her martini.

"Just a break, really." she answered.

"A break?" Natsume exclaimed. "Are you stupid? You made a lot of people worry about your disappearance! You didn't even leave a note!"

"It won't happen again." replied Sumire with a smile.

"I don't think you have learned your lesson yet." Ruka cut in sharply.

Sumire decided to ignore the blonde and kept her smile on. "I promise, it won't happen again." she rose from her chair and leaned closer to Natsume until her lips were a few inches away from his ear. "Next time, I'll leave a note." She patted the raven haired boy's shoulder and left the room.

"We should have kicked her out of the group when we had the chance." Ruka muttered. "The girl's cracked!"

Natsume turned to Koko who was standing in the corner of the room with a gloomy expression carved on his face. "Koko, where on earth did you find her?"

Koko fidgeted on his spot and shortly glanced at Natsume before he ran out of the room. Ruka raised a brow and shook his head in dismay. "Sumire's madness has finally rubbed on Koko."

"Do you have any idea where Tsubasa is? I believe he's going to tell me something important." Natsume said.

"Enough about Tsubasa, Nat," Ruka uttered. "How are things between you and the Sakura girl?" He flashed a sly smile at Natsume, much to the latter's chagrin.

"I heard the girl was a hero." Ruka continued. "My blasted mother vowed to give her allegiance to the girl. She was practically in tears when I got out of the hospital."

"D..Do you have any sort of news about the Sakura household?" Natsume inquired softly, trying to contain his interest. Ever since the party, he lost contact with the brunette. There was never a time when he hadn't thought of her. He, himself, couldn't believe that he had fallen for the girl.

"Damn, Nat, you really have fallen for her!" Ruka exclaimed teasingly. "Who could have thought that the high and mighty Natsume Hyuuga would be knocked down by the Sakura's favored child?"

"Now, you're just exaggerating." Natsume said.

"Well, it's just really new to me." Ruka admitted. "The idea of you being smitten has never passed in my mind."

"I don't like her, Ruka." Natsume denied, but the blond managed to see through his lie. Ruka's lip formed into a small smile which caused Natsume to be more aggravated. "Ah, fuck it. Yes, I finally admit it. I like the girl. Happy, you punk?"

Ruka threw his head back in laughter. "Oh, boy. I have never seen this side of yours. I like it."

"Shut up." Natsume hissed as he shoved his palm onto his friend's face. Ruka cracked into a series of laughter as he watched his friend's passive expression shatter into many pieces.

"You really have such high standards when it comes to women," Ruka commented. "Kaoru has been throwing all sorts of female vampires at your feet, but you had never paid them any attention. You've chosen the most challenging one—a Sakura."

"I didn't choose her," Natsume grunted. "It just… happened. Believe me, Ruka, if I had a choice in the matter, I wouldn't pick her at all."

"Ah," Ruka cried as if he found something vital in Natsume's confession. "But you did have a choice and your choice was her. I have known you for a long time Natsume, we've met many girls—both human and vampire, but you didn't stay close nor showed interest in any of them."

Natsume raised a brow. "So, are you suggesting that I brought this upon myself?"

There was an unfamiliar twinkle in Ruka's blue eyes. "It's not a suggestion, Natsume. It's a statement."

"Shit," Natsume cursed. "If only she wasn't a Sakura."

"You could just steal her away." Ruka suggested.

"Are you mad?" Natsume bellowed. His crimson eyes were blazing in a mixture of anger and shock from Ruka's words. "What you are suggesting is treason. I can't stand between the prophesized twins. It would be an act of betrayal to the Conclave."

"Jeez," Ruka groaned. "Conclave this, Conclave that. When will you stop acting like the Conclave's dog? Just for once, think about what _you_ want."

Natsume waved his hand dismissively. "You wouldn't understand."

"Oh?" Ruka pretended to be surprised. Natsume saw Ruka's forehead creasing as the seconds pass by. It wasn't a good sign. "I completely understand, Natsume. I understand quite perfectly that you're an idiot to surrender what you want for the Conclave's sake."

Natsume's hand found its way on to Ruka's arm and tightly clenched it. "Are you testing my patience, _Nogi_? I've never considered that you were a fool enough to try me."

"You're the fool, Natsume, not me." Ruka said as he pushed the crimson eyed boy away from him and left the room with only the sound of his footsteps echoing his departure.

* * *

"Mikan!" Kuonji called as he chased after his sister.

"What do you want?" his sister asked. Her question was actually good. What did Kuonji want? He wanted a lot of things but none popped into his mind when she asked. His only concern at the moment was Mikan.

"Look," Kuonji started. "Yes, I lied to you, but I have a good reason on why I did. It's far too early for you to remember, that's why I hid it from you."

"Hid what exactly?"

"The… truth," Kuonji replied. "The truth about _us_. About your existence. About this _other_ woman's existence."

"I… I… I don't understand." Mikan stuttered. The girl was lost for words. Kuonji's sudden revelations had completely shocked her. She tried to utter some words, but no sound came out from her lips. It was as if the words she intended to convey had died in her throat.

"Mikan, you have to trust me." Kuonji said. "Will you believe me no matter how absurd the things that I will be talking about?"

The girl hesitated to reply. "I… I-I will."

Kuonji's lips drew into a thin line before he started talking once again, "Mikan, you are not the original twin. Before you, there was another."

* * *

In a dimly lit room, a woman was smoking her cigar. She sat tall and poised on the sofa as she took another huff from her stick. She turned her head at the door and just in a few seconds, it opened like how she had predicted it would. Behind the door were Sumire Shouda and Kokoro Yome.

"I've arrived as promised." Sumire said.

The woman smiled. "You really do keep your promises."

"As long as you keep your end of the bargain." Sumire hissed.

The woman crushed the cigar in the ashtray before she turned once again to Sumire who had now taken a seat across her. "I see that you've brought your pet." she eyed Koko who was standing behind Sumire's chair with his hands pressed on the green haired girl's shoulders. "You've won such a talented vampire. I'm impressed, _daughter_."

"You have no right calling me that, especially when you had abandoned me to the Shoudas." Sumire's knuckles turned white from clenching.

"I had to," the woman explained. "They wouldn't let you live, especially if they had found out who you really are. Plus, the Shoudas have done well in raising you. They gave you everything you wanted, I assume?"

"They did." Sumire replied.

"Good, no child of mine is going to be deprived of what they want."

"I want my rightful heritage." Sumire demanded.

"You'll have it, darling."

"The Sakura girl has awakened her powers. It will be dangerous." Sumire noticed her mother stiffened when she had mentioned the girl's name. "We have to act as soon as possible."

The woman tutted. "We have to stay vigilant, Sumire. We need to plan carefully. Right now, the twins' relationship is shattering and unstable. We need to crush them."

"But how? Fighting them head on sounds like a death sentence."

"We don't always have to be physical, Sumire. We have deception on our side. You've once mentioned of a Natsume Hyuuga, right?" When Sumire gave a nod, the woman went on. "We can use him."

* * *

Hi guys, ejo here! This chapter introduces (or more like of the beginning of the bigger picture) Struck's actual plot. It would be much more complicated in the future and I don't know if I could pull it off. Wish me luck!


	10. Troubling Thoughts

**Struck**

**Summary:** In Alice High, a group of elite teenagers are hiding a terrible secret. When you put Mikan Sakura into the equation, there's bound to be trouble, especially when their leader takes an interest on her.

**Note:** Originally Oops, I Think I'm In Love.

Back when she was a child, whenever Mikan had problems she would always whisper her troubles and deepest fears to her stuffed toy. In her arms would be a white bear with angel wings that she had received from Izumi. It didn't have a name. The brunette didn't bother giving it one. With Kuonji's latest confession, even the bear was useless.

"Are you serious?" she asked. She didn't know how many times she had asked the same question. It fitted the situation and the situation was cynical.

Kuonji placed his hands on his sister's shoulders and clutched on to it tightly. A bead of cold sweat dangled on his chin as he watched his sister shot him a lost look. "I'm not kidding, Mikan," he said, his voice steady. "I wasn't going to tell you until you fully remembered who you were."

"Then tell me," it came out as an exasperated sigh. Mikan didn't mean to, but she was tired of the riddles and the lies. She wanted the truth and only Kuonji bore it. "Tell me everything."

"Long ago, I was a man who had everything… everything except someone to share _my_ everything." he started slowly as Mikan tried to process everything. "Then He gave me you… God gave me you."

_A young man sat on the grass and watched every pair of animal in contempt. He used to have someone like that as well—someone to spend his lives with. She was a fine woman—great and strong, but ambitious and proud. She couldn't handle him anymore so she left him for good. He thought that he could live without her, but he was wrong. For many nights, he regretted that he let her go._

_He knew she wouldn't come back anymore, so he asked for another. He vowed that he would change this time—that he would treasure the next one for eternity._

_So the Man above—the One who created everything—granted his wish. The young man had fallen into a great asleep and when he woke up, he saw a beautiful being. The Man named her Eve and gave her to Adam to love and share everything. Adam vowed that he would protect and cherish her for eternity._

_From afar, Adam's first wife, Lilith, watched the two in great envy. Ever since she escaped the One's protection, a curse was placed upon her. A great and miserable curse that nobody could break: the curse of the living dead. She would not experience hunger and thirst for every food and drink that touches her tongue would taste like dust, all except for blood. She told herself that in her lifetime she would never feel fulfilled unless she ruins Adam's and Eve's life._

_Her plan started to set in motion as soon as she heard the One's command. That Adam and Eve must never touch the tree in the middle of the garden. Lilith shredded her human skin exchange for an animal with no feet. She sneaked into the garden and found Eve nearby._

_It was easy to trick Eve. The girl had never known anything about Adam's life prior to meeting her. Lilith used her words to entrance the girl. So Eve gave in… and so did Adam._

_The One was furious with the two so he took the garden away from them and placed a curse on them for their disobedience. Their curse was the same as Lilith's except for one thing. Lilith had the choice of the body she would enter, Adam and Eve didn't._

_Adam and Eve procreated and bore children who thirsted for blood. Years passed and every time they were born, they would be twins. Adam and Eve's offspring were easily attracted to Lilith's power. They feared and worshipped her. _

_To avoid another heavenly battle, the One made it rain for countless days and nights. _

_As soon as a lot of the evil were dispersed, the One told himself that this would not happen again so he made another being. He was called the father of many nations. He and his kind were different. They were normal beings and they were called the humans. _

_The One made Adam and Eve a pact that he would not interfere anymore so that the balance would not be tampered. He did warn them about Lilith's existence and the danger she would pose to the future generation of Adam and Eve's next offspring._

_So Adam and Eve made an organized system—that their kind would be hidden from the human's knowledge and that someone would rule in order for peace to exist._

Mikan was stunned. It took all her strength just to stand up without faltering from Kuonji's words. She believed she was special, but that was because she was Izumi's child, not _this_. Not some biblical character.

"This system that you speak of, is it the Conclave?" Mikan asked.

Kuonji nodded. "We even made rules, my dear sister. You need to realize the amazing feats we have accomplished in the past. We established the Conclave ourselves, gave birth to the vampires we see today," Mikan frowned at Kuonji's last remark, but did not bother to comment on it. "Created the Book of the Damned and…"

"Book of the Damned?" Mikan repeated the words as if she tasted it in her lips. "What is that?"

"Well," Kuonji shrugged his shoulders this time. "Just a set of guidelines we made a long time ago. It was a compilation of rules that were meant for our children. It started out as a joke, really. Looks like our offspring just took it too seriously."

"Kuonji, do you have any idea why I can't remember these things?" asked Mikan. It had been bugging her. A lot of questions filled her mind and only Kuonji could give her the satisfaction of the answers. For a moment he looked stiff then he suddenly turned relaxed.

"I think it has something to do with our previous life." Kuonji said. He started slow, but Mikan continued to listen. "Back when we were part of the Italian Conclave. You see, something happened. I didn't mean to, but it had…"

"What are you two doing here?"

The twins looked to their right and saw Izumi watching them in prying eyes. His gaze was piercing and when he looked at the two of them, his eyes never left his daughter's.

"You're wasting your time." He told her. "You have so much to learn."

Kuonji stepped in front of his sister and stood menacingly before his father. "You do not speak to her that way, _Izumi_."

"I-…"

In a split second, Kuonji was now standing beside Izumi. His fingernails grew longer and it was pointed at Izumi's neck. "Mikan and I must have been very lenient in the past. Our kind has come to disrespect us."

"I'm sor…"

"I do not need to hear your useless apology, Izumi. I just need you to know your place. You might be the Japanese Conclave's leader, but you're just another puny vampire to me."

Izumi lowered his head and knelt down before the two. "Forgive me, Kuonji."

* * *

Cold water dangled on Natsume's face as he stared at his reflection. He couldn't push Ruka's words away from his head. He wasn't sure whether because his words were provoking or spot-on or both.

_"Conclave this, Conclave that. When will you stop acting like the Conclave's dog? Just for once, think about what _you_want."_

Exactly. What did Natsume Hyuuga want? He often questioned himself of that. There was never a year that he deprived himself of that wearing question. Every year his answer stayed the same: to be and to stay on the top. Now, he wasn't so certain anymore. Of course he still wanted it, but he wanted something _more_. The problem was, he didn't know whether Mikan Sakura was that 'more' or not.

If ever he pursued his feelings for the girl, the Conclave wouldn't approve of it. Both of them may be of aristocratic bloodline, but she was far more precious. She was a vampire that the entire vampire kind has been waiting for. He was… well… nothing but a Hyuuga.

He slowly turned the faucet on and watched as the water pour down. As he washed his face once again, he cursed himself mentally. _Why her?_

He could have all the women he wanted. He had his fair share of them back then—Swedish, Italian, blondes, redheads and Japanese. He had them circling on his palm and each of them loved him dearly. And not of them did he love.

It was already mating season and he blamed the stupid event that made him acted like this. He used to be rational; now, he was a love struck fool.

* * *

"Luna," Sumire's voice dragged. She didn't know what to call the woman before her. As she observed her European features, she concluded there was nothing similar between the two of them. "I have told the Shoudas of your return."

Luna spun and flashed a spiteful smile. Her hair was tied into a bun with strands poking out from all over the place. Last night, she was wearing such heavy makeup that made Sumire winch at the sight of her face, but with her face bare like this, she looked radiant as the moonless sky. In her hand was a glass of red wine, she gave the red liquid a twirl before she looked up to her daughter. "I could always trust on the Shoudas. Tell Kuzumi that I would reward him greatly for his efforts."

Sumire gave a slight nod.

"Where is your darling pet? The one who can read minds?" asked Luna.

Sumire jerked her chin toward the closed door. "Are you sure that you will be meeting Izumi? Aren't you scared that he or his children might notice that the Dark Mother has returned?"

"Scared?" Luna scoffed. "I have nothing to be afraid of. Kuonji is not who he used to be. He used to be powerful and strong. Right now, he's nothing but a weak fool."

"How about the girl? She's strong."

Luna pursed her lips and for a moment Sumire believed that Luna was troubled. "The girl's an emotional wreck. She's easy to deal with."

Luna swore she saw her daughter grimace. "Sumire," she called. "You don't have to worry. You'll get your rightful place."

"In the Conclave, right?" Sumire wanted to be sure. She has to. The woman may be her mother, but she was a treacherous snake who left her when she was a baby.

Luna smiled. "Of course." _In the Conclave, where you're dead just like the rest of them._

The green-haired girl cleared her throat and dusted her skirt. "It's almost nighttime." she said after she took a peek from her wristwatch. "Aren't you going to prepare yourself to face Izumi?"

"Oh, please," the woman groaned. "I don't need to prepare. I'm always prepared."

* * *

That night, Mikan and Kounji ate their dinner with their father. It was a rare occasion for this to happen, but their father decided that it would be the best time to discuss about the bonding.

"Children, the Conclave has decided of the date of your bonding." Izumi announced. Kuonji turned away from his raw steak and listened to his father while Mikan stopped on her tracks and almost dropped her fork. "It would be two months from now. On July 21st."

"F-Father, don't you think that we're rushing this?" Mikan asked. Kuonji glanced at her and his expression was unfathomable to Mikan.

"Actually, I think July would be a good month for the bonding." Kounji stated. "And I think our bonding was on put for far too long. Don't you want this, Mikan? What's keeping you from agreeing?"

Mikan bit her lower lip. "Nothing." she lied. Her thoughts flew to the night where she encountered Natsume Hyuuga in the garden—his red eyes, his chiseled chin, his lips and their kiss. She was drowning in the images playing in her head. There was a time where she could share this with Kuonji, but everything was different now.

"I believe both of you should take this time to prepare yourselves for your bonding. I left a copy of the Book of the Damned in your rooms. There's a section there about bonding." Izumi said.

Mikan rose from her seat, her chair scraped too loudly that Kuonji had to cover his ears. "I…I think I'll go and read it now." She left the dining hall and she disappeared in the shadows.

"Something's not right." Kuonji commented as he twirled his steak knife on the meat.

Izumi stopped his chewing and looked up to his son. "What is?"

"With Mikan and…" Kuonji stopped and stared out at the window. "Something dangerous is coming."

As if on cue, one of the Sakuras' maids entered the room and bowed before Izumi. "Master, a lady is here to see you. She says she's from the Spanish Conclave and she has something to talk about."

"From the Spanish Conclave?" Izumi muttered. "What does the Spanish maiden want from us?"

"She would not tell me, Master," she replied. "She says that she has personal matters to discuss with you."

Izumi wiped his lips. "Very well. Send her in the parlor, tell her I'll meet her there."

The maid nodded and when she was about to leave, Izumi asked, "Did she tell you her name?"

The maid nodded once again. "Luna Koizumi, Master."


End file.
